Raise the Hammer

Aaron Levo found the meaning of life in Hamilton, then he took her to Ottawa. He is a health advocate and political junkie.

Adam Sobolak is an executive of the Toronto Architectural Conservancy, but writes here as an individual, so as not to make undue claims.

Adrian Duyzer lives in downtown Hamilton and has a Twitter account that he updates semi-frequently, as well as a blog that he updates pretty much never.

Ainsley Lishman is currently a starving student, finishing her Journalism course at Mohawk College this summer, and then off to Carleton University in Ottawa. She likes Buddy Holly, aerosol whipped cream, and traveling.

Al Cormier is the President and CEO of the Centre for Sustainable Transportation, based in Mississauga.

Alasdair Rathbone is a first year McMaster University Kinesiology student. Although he lives on the Mountain he still maintains an interest in the lower city where he spent his early years. He follows politics at all levels and likes to comment to anyone that will listen.

Albert DeSantis watches a lot of movies and TV and has been since childhood. More recently, he has written movie reviews for View Magazine in Hamilton for a few years (This may have warped his mind). The two best flicks ever are The Empire Strikes Back and Aliens. Both are sequels. Go Cats!

Amanda N. Nesbitt is a McMaster graudate with a double major in English/History and a minor in Theatre and Film Studies. An avid writer/photographer, she thrives being a part of Hamilton's theatre/arts movement and has been very active in the theatre community since 2003. Writing for the Fringe marks her third year participating with this amazing group of people that make up the festival and she hopes you enjoy the shows. Thank you for promoting the arts!

Amy Kenny graduated from Ryerson University's journalism program in 2004. She is currently a Hamilton-based freelance writer who loves the arts and the outdoors. In addition to Raise the Hammer, she writes for H Magazine, The Corktown Crier and TorontoPlus. She cycles everywhere, all the time and urges you to do the same.

Anders Knudsen is a returnee who lives in ward 2 in a little old cottage. He'll be studying law at the University of Toronto from September 2010 to April 2013.

Andrew Allen is a Hamilton resident and student at Mohawk College in his final year studying to be Biotechnology Technician.

Andrew C. Bome is a lawyer practicing in Hamilton with McQuesten Legal & Community Services. He is a self-described trivia and political geek. He traveled to New Hampshire to observe the 2008 Presidential Primary taking place in the 'Granite State'.

Andrew MacKillop is a writer and consultant on oil and energy economics. Since 1975 he has worked in energy, economic and scientific organisations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. These include the Canada Science Council, the ILO, European Commission, Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and South Pacific, and the World Bank. He is a founding member of the Asian chapter of the International Association of Energy Economics. He is also the editor, with Sheila Newman, of The Final Energy Crisis (Pluto Press, 2005).

Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko has recently joined the dedicated team at Environment Hamilton.

Ben Bull now lives in downtown Toronto after an interesting six years in the Hammer. He plans to stay there for a few years, complain a lot, and then move on somewhere else.

Betsy Agar, B.Eng., M.A.Sc., P.Eng. is a research engineer and sessional lecturer at McMaster University who has a passion for the environment and concern for socioeconomic inequalities.

Bob Robertson, Ph.D. is a consultant and professor of international business. He was the City Manager for the City of Hamilton from 2002 to 2004.

Bob Wood has worked with youth, in housing, and freelance writing primarily on politics. He is a recovering politician, having served from 1991-97 and again in 2006 as a municipal councillor in Burlington and Halton. He is Community Development Coordinator at McQuesten Legal and Community Services. He also maintains a personal website.

Brodie Chree is a local Hamilton bon vivant and boulevardier. You can catch him head banging at rock shows, scanning negatives and stamping envelopes at the library as well as encouraging you to please place the item in the bag at Fortinos.

Candace Iron is a PhD student at York University, Toronto. Malcolm Thurlby, PhD, FSA, is Professor of Visual Arts at York University, Toronto.

Chris is 38 years old and married with one child. While he lived in Hamilton/Stoney Creek very early on, he now lives in Burlington and commutes to work in Toronto daily.

Chris Erl, a born and bred Hamiltonian, is a sophomore student at McMaster University. From student politics to municipal issues, he is always looking for opportunities to get involved and make a difference in his community.

Connie Kidd is a retired educational researcher and supporter of the Six Nations land reclamation in Caledonia. She believes that the solution to our environmental issues rests in part in settling aboriginal land claims and returning land to the care of traditional indigenous people, and has recently started a discussion board for Canadians who support aboriginal rights: http://cfar.proboards104.com.

Craig is a staff lawyer at McQuesten Legal & Community Services in Hamilton. In 2006, Craig reprsented Hamilton's Income Security Working Group in presenting a brief to the United Nations Committee on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights in Geneva on the right to an adequate standard of living. Craig lives in central Hamilton with his wife and daughter.

Craig Hermanson is the president of Concrescence Design and the editor of LockeStreet.com. He lives in Kirkendall Neighbourhood and is involved in community development.

Dan Chiras is a leading authority on green building and renewable energy options for home construction. He paid his last electric bill in June of 1996, and is has written 21 books, including Superbia! 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Suburbs, co-authored with Dave Wann. He currently is a Melon Visiting Professor at Colorado College where he teaches courses on renewable energy, ecological design, and sustainable development. He lives in Evergreen, Colorado.

Many of us have our own take on what it means to be green. For Darren, "green" goes beyond just the mechanics of living lightly on the earth, to a more soulful understanding of ourselves as part of nature. He authors a weekly blog, Raise a Little Green, where he highlights the "mis-adventures of turning green," challenges our cultural ideologies and assumptions, and asks the deeper questions of purpose and fulfillment. Darren is a TV director and filmmaker who lives in downtown Hamilton with his wife and two children.

Dave Kuruc is co-owner of Mixed Media, an art shop on James North. He is also publisher of H Magazine, a monthly magazine dedicated to celebrating Hamilton's beauty and charm.

David Cohen is a freelance writer and a part-time teacher. He has worked as a journalist and a communications officer (promoting workplace health and safety). He served on the Dundas Town Council from 1991 to 1994.

Architect and urbanist David Greusel is committed to the restoration of American cities. With over 25 years experience in architecture, David has had the opportunity to help design many of the buildings that make up a city, from schools and supermarkets to ballparks and office buildings. Some of those projects have contributed to suburban sprawl, while others have helped to heal the wounds of central cities. A project David worked on of which he is particularly fond was helping to design PNC Park, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, which has been rated the best ballpark in America by several publications and websites.

Over the years, David has come to value the "messy vitality" of cities, and has focused his work on projects that help restore the urban fabric. When he is not practicing architecture, David performs in a syndicated radio comedy program "Right Between The Ears," which is produced by Kansas Public Radio. He is the author of the book Architect's Essentials of Presentation Skills, published by Wiley. David and his family live in the Kansas City area.

David Holmgren, co-originator with Bill Mollison of the Permaculture concept, is an innovative environmental design consultant based at Hepburn Springs in central Victoria, where he maintains one of Australia's best-known permaculture demonstration sites. David has written several books, conducted numerous workshops and courses on sustainable living, and developed several properties himself using permaculture principles. The following feature is adapted from a public lecture given at the Aldinga Arts EcoVillage in Adelaide in January 2005. You can check David's website: http://www.holmgren.com.au.

David Thompson is an independent consultant specializing in environmental and energy policy and organizational development. His clients include research organizations, corporations, government, First Nations and non-profits.

David Van Beveren is a Hamilton native. He grew up in Ancaster and now lives in Ward 1.

Derrick Jensen is an activist, author, small farmer, bee-keeper, teacher, and philosopher whose speaking engagements in recent years have packed university auditoriums, conferences and bookstores nationwide. He has authored or co-authored a number of books that examine western civilization, including The Culture of Make Believe, a finalist for the 2003 J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, A Language Older than Words, and Walking on Water: Reading, Writing and Revolution. Visit his website: http://www.derrickjensen.org

Don McLean is chair of Friends of Red Hill Valley. He teaches a university course in environmental studies. He is also an active volunteer with Citizens at City Hall (CATCH).

Douglas E. Morris is the author of five books, a magazine columnist, and an international entrepreneur who has lived for 14 years outside the US in a variety of safe, community-oriented urban areas in seven different countries. His newest book, Its a Sprawl World After All, has just ben published by New Society Publishers. Visit his website: http://www.ItsaSprawlWorld.com.

Elizabeth Parker moved to Hamilton permanently in 2000. She grew up in Toronto's west end, then went to McMaster University and studied English, Religious Studies and Psychology. She worked for over ten years in the film industry as a locations scout before moving to Hamilton fulltime. She is currently a real estate agent living a short walk from Downtown with her husband and two boys.

Environment Hamilton (EH) was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 2001 with a central mandate to facilitate the ability of people in the Hamilton area to develop the knowledge and skills they need to protect and enhance the environment around them. Visit the Environment Hamilton website.

Eric Britton was the founder of EcoPlan in 1966, formed to create an effective forum of international collaboration and independent counsel on issues regarding the management of technology as it affects people in their daily lives. In recent years he has turned his attention to sustainability, land use and urban planning, particularly in response to the challenges of climate change.

Francie O'Flynn is a Hamilton writer with a degree in Fine Art from University of Toronto. A collector and art aficionado for most of her life, she is now taking classes at Dundas Valley School of Art. As a child, she lived in pre-revolutionary Havana with her parents. She is no stranger to the country and its people, although it took them 47 years to find each other again. Since returning from her first visit, Francie has designed a Cuban art tour with Tom Robertson of Cuba 1 Tours, a pioneer of specialized small-group tours for ten years.

Frank Borger is an engineering technologist who lives in Stoney Creek. He moved to Hamilton when he was 18 and has lived in East Hamilton, the West Mountain and Downtown. He grew up in Beamsville.

Fred Eisenberger was sworn in as the 3rd Mayor of the new City of Hamilton on December 6, 2006. Mayor Fred was first elected to Hamilton City Council as the representative for Ward 5 in 1991. He was re-elected in 1994 and again in 1997. In addition to local and regional council boards and commissions, including the Hamilton Port Authority, Fred has also served on several charitable and corporate boards in recent years. As the Mayor of Hamilton, Fred has been a proponent of the Next Hamilton Vision, which aims to make Hamilton a clean, green and prosperous city. He is a strong believer in the community model of leadership, which incorporates ideas from all stakeholders in the community in seeking solutions for the City's common problems. For more information visit www.mayorfred.ca.

George Patrick is a retired civil servant living in Oakville. He is firmly of the opinion that most people are wrong most of the time, and tends to question his own judgment when too many people agree with him.

Graham Crawford was raised in Hamilton, moving to Toronto in 1980 where he spent 25 years as the owner of a successful management consulting firm that he sold in 2000. He retired and moved back to Hamilton in 2005 and since then has become involved in heritage and neighbourhood issues. Graham edits the Durander, the newsletter of the Durand Neighbourhood Association, where this article appeared originally.

Grant lives in Hamilton and works as an elementary school teacher.

Harold Stebbe is a Chartered Accountant. He spent 21 years working for the Office of the Auditor General in Ottawa. After leaving the OAG, he worked as controller for a small business in Ottawa before retiring to Vancouver Island in 1993.

Ian Graham is a community chaplain, activist, retired entrepreneur and resident of Burlington. He had 25 years in business up to 2000, then steered himself into a religious education masters degree, asking, What is the future of community and role of religion in that? He is a Quaker, with strong social activist tendencies.

Jack Santa-Barbara is a retired business executive, and former Co-Chair of Action 2020. He is the co-director of Hamiltonians for Progressive Development, an organization dedicated to articulating and supporing a progressive approach to city planning.

Jacob Matthan is a writer, activist, and retired technology consultant who lives in Oulu, Finland with Anniki, his wife of 39 years. He maintains a political blog at http://jmpolitics.blogspot.com/.

James Howard Kunstler was born in New York City in 1948. He moved to the Long Island suburbs in 1954, and in 1957 he returned to the city where he spent most of his childhood. He graduated from the State University of New York’s Brockport campus, worked as a reporter and feature writer for a number of newspapers, and finally as a staff writer for Rolling Stone Magazine. In 1975, he turned to writing books on a full-time basis, writing nine published novels. In 1994 Kunstler published The Geography of Nowhere, a landmark book that traced America's evolution from a nation of coherent communities to a wasteland of placeless architecture and parking lots. He continued his exploration of American architecture with Home from Nowhere and The City in Mind: Notes on the Urban Condition. His most recent non-fiction book, The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century, describes the changes that American society faces in the 21st century.

Janet MacLeod is the operations coordinator of Grand River Carshare and Hamilton Carshare.

Jason Allen is a sales and customer service trainer who lives with his wife and kids in Strathcona in Hamilton, but commutes by GO to Toronto. Jason loves Hamilton because it is just on the cusp of not making all the mistakes that his hometown of Calgary made when he was growing up there in the 1970s and '80s. Jason is pathologically hopeful. His blog can be found at jasonaallen.blogspot.com.

Jason Leach was born and raised in the Hammer and currently lives downtown with his wife and children.

Jeff Griffiths lives in the north end of Hamilton with his wife and two young children. He instructs the Workshops with Local Writers continuing education course at Mohawk College. His short fiction, poetry, and book reviews have appeared in Front and Centre, Hammered Out, The Puritan, Qwerty, The Nashwaak Review and various on-line journals. He also received the Arts Hamilton award for short fiction in 2007 and 2008.

Jeff Mahoney is a columnist for the Hamilton Spectator and an all-around great guy. We paid him a lot of money to write nice things about us.

A low-key Hamiltonian who has been amassing poetry since about the age of 15, Mr. Stewart has worked in various careers including managing the classical department at the downtown Sam the Record Man, operating a catering company, and managing an out-of-print bookstore. Mr. Stewart enjoys life with his wife and family of cats.

Jen Dawson is a local community activist and freelance writer. She is a volunteer with the Hamilton 350 Committee.

Jeremy Parsons is a second year student at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario doing a double major in Recreation and French. He has a love for distance running, outdoor education, community-building, and deep relationship with God.

Joel S. Hirschhorn, Ph.D., is the author of Sprawl Kills - How Blandburbs Steal Your Time, Health, and Money. He can be reached through his website: www.sprawlkills.com. Check out Joel's new book at www.delusionaldemocracy.com.

John Milton a local writer and activist. He is the administrator of Hamilton Indymedia.

John Rawlins is a retired nuclear physicist who lives in Washington with his wife (a psychologist). He teaches physics at Whatcom Community College. They live on ten acres of mostly wooded land about sixteen kilometres (ten miles) northeast of Bellingham and enjoy bicycle trips on the islands, skiing (near Mt. BGaker), sea-kayaking in the Sound, and occasionally some river kayaking. Prior to his retirement, Rawlins worked for 19 years for Westinghouse-Hanford Co, but took early retirement because he wanted his work to make a difference. Visit his website: http://faculty.whatcom.ctc.edu/jrawlins/.

Jon Dalton, a sustainable transportation advocate volunteering with Transportation for Liveable Communities, left the single occupancy vehicle's march of death in April 2006 and now enjoys life in downtown Hamilton, sleeping on trains by day and walking the streets by night.

Judith Sandiford is a theatre designer, a visual artist, and Managing Director of Artword Theatre. With partner playwright and director Ronald Weihs, she created and operated a performance facility in Toronto, where, for over 12 years, they created, fostered and presented many original works of theatre and dance. In 2008, Artword relocated to Hamilton where it has just completed its season of four original works with a Hamilton theme. Artword is currently working on its plans for its 2009-2010 season here.

Kabir is a Toronto area activist organizing with the Toronto Haiti Action Committee and other anti-war and community outreach projects. Kabir also co-hosts the radio program "Voices of the Movement" on CIUT, University of Toronto community radio. He just started his first year of high school.

Karen Burson is a self-trained chef living in Hamilton. She established the Bread & Roses Café that operated out of the Sky Dragon Community Development Cooperative in downtown Hamilton. This organic/fair trade café won a major national award from Canadian Organic Growers in its first year of operation, on a shoestring budget, with no paid advertising or marketing. Karen went on to establish Kidzfood, the city's only local/organic healthy school lunch service, which now serves three area schools. Karen is now the new Project Manager for Hamilton Eat Local, under the wing of Environment Hamilton. She administers three busy blogs, writes for two monthly publications (H Magazine and Mayday), and is founder and a current Co-chair of Slow Food Hamilton.

Katrina Simmons is a freelance journalist in Dundas, with a background in horticulture. She grows flowers and vegetables organically, has taught other gardeners to do the same, and is an active member of Canadian Organic Growers. Visit her website: http://www.2020studios.com/.

Keanin Loomis recently moved to Hamilton after spending time in Washington DC. He's looking for ways to get more involved in Hamilton's renaissance.

Kevin Somers is the author of a satire, I'm Gretzky, You're Gretzky - find it here. He is the editor of The Hobo Line, a magazine by and for Fred Heads. He also writes about fashion for The Women's Post.

Lakis Polycarpou writes about energy depletion and society on his blog at http://www.nea-polis.net. He lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

Les Szamosvari was born and raised in Hamilton. He has held down many jobs, from lumberjack to massage therapist, across Canada. Presently, Les works as a chef and as a musician/songwriter and has used writing to promote businesses and in a role as socialist activist. Les returned to Hamilton in 2005 and has been exploring this peaceful, active city as well as lobbying for a Hamilton CarShare network since returning.

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Lindsay Soomet is a Hamilton-based freelance writer who enjoys dog-walking, latté-sipping, magazine-flipping and more. She holds a joint B.A. in Cultural Anthropology/Philosophy as well as a Certificate in Magazine Publishing.

Lisa Marie DiLiberto is a professional actress and clown and the Artistic Director of FIXT POINT, a theatre company with a mandate to inspire audiences to imagine change. FIXT POINT has a home studio in Parkdale, Toronto but the company has toured original work across Canada, (Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver) to Graz and Vienna in Austria, to the Prague International Festival, The Edinburgh Fringe and the Isle of Whyte (UK). Lisa Marie is a graduate of George Brown Theatre School, an alumus of Second City and has trained in character, mask, vaudeville and clown with Philippe Gaulier in Paris, France. Lisa Marie animates neighbourhoods through her work in community arts where she is Associate Artistic Director for Jumblies Theatre, and the Artistic Director of Arts4All. This fall, FIXT POINT will be producing THE TALE OF A TOWN in studio and then in association with Theatre Passe Muraille in May 2010. FIXT POINT: DREAM BIG, start small...

Lisa McGlade grew up in Ottawa and has lived in Toronto for the last ten years. She currently works at the Royal Conservatory of Music to pay for her writing habit.

Lorne Opler is a freelance writer on the side, and has recently moved to Hamilton from Toronto. Coming from a city where anonymity is a way of life, Lorne is amazed by how friendly and approachable people are in Hamilton, and finds himself always telling people from Toronto (who don't know better) what a great place Hamilton is.

Lorraine Johnson's most recent book is 100 Easy to Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens, published by Whitecap Books. Contact the yard improvement helpline at garden@greenventure.ca or (905) 540-8787 x18 for answers to your lawn and garden questions. Take a natural approach. With simple steps, you too can transition your yard into an attractive pesticide-free landscape.

Lucien Steil, Nikos A. Salingaros, and Michael W. Mehaffy are the President, Vice-President, and Secretary, respectively, of Katarxis Urban Workshops. Visit the website: http://luciensteil.tripod.com/katarxis/. Nikos A. Salingaros is also a Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Texas at San Antonio. Visit his website: http://www.math.utsa.edu/~salingar/

M Adrian Brassington is a Hamilton-born and bred writer who has ended up back in his home town after being elsewhere. His main claim to fame is that he understands the difference between 'bring' and 'take' ... and therefore feels both blessed ... and smug.

Maggie Fox lives and works in Dundas. Co-owner of a small custom publications firm specializing in print and web content, she's new to the activist game, and hopes she can make a positive difference in her neighbourhood.

Maggie Hughes hosts The Other Side, a radio program on CFMU 93.3FM on Tuesdays from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. The Other Side looks at the issues that mainstream media tends to downplay or ignore, using interviews and lectures to show the effects that economic, corporate and political policies have on society.

Mahesh P. Butani is a non-architect, and a developer by default. He is involved in re-developing properties in downtown Hamilton; and has an MA in Arts Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, NYC (1986), and bachelors in Architecture from Bombay, India (1982). Currently he is not an architect in Ontario on account of not having enough Canadian Experience; and does not qualify to teach as he carries too much baggage to fit into the Canadian education system. He refuses to be re-trained to fit in, on a matter of principle, and is a passionate disbeliever of icons and self-regulation of professions in Canada - but still maintains his belief in collective self-organizing behavior; and feels that the large swath of intellectual brownfields across Ontario are far more harmful to the economy than the brownfields left over from deindustrialization - and in response has set up a social network called Metropolitan Hamilton.

Malcolm Thurlby, PhD, FSA, is Professor of Visual Arts at York University, Toronto.

The advent of wireless communications has made it possible for Mark to hold down a day job while spending quantity time out beyond the limits of something approaching a general conscensus about what's important in post-industrial society. In addition to working as a product demonstrator at Sobeys, Mark has worked as an ID photographer for a community college, a Kelly Girl, a Legal and Consumer Counsellor for an Auto Club, a Hall Director for a Southern Ontario University Residence, and an Aviation Analyst. He is the co-author of a television pilot called Bad Hall Director, which is unproduced but was once (and for all he knows may still be) seriously considered by serious producers, and he is the sole author of the e-novel of the same title on which it is based, and which must still exist on a CD at the bottom of a bottom drawer of his desk. He makes his home in Hamilton, Ontario.

Marvin Caplan is a former member of Hamilton Council where he served Ward One for nine years. Prior to his election to City Council he was a retailer of fine men's clothing in downtown Hamilton. He was a founding member and past chair of the Downtown Hamilton Business Improvement Area (BIA), president of the Social Planning and Research Council, while on Council he served as Chair of the Public Health Committee, member of the Niagara Escarpment Commission, Chair of the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa), member of the board of directors of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), member of the board of the Hamilton Conservation Authority, he founded the Immigrant and Refugee Advisory Committee and the Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Advisory Committee (GLBT)and was active on the Status of Women Committee, the Disabled Advisory Committee and the Race Relations Committees. He currently practices as a Real Estate Sales Person for Coldwell Banker Pinnacle Real Estate.

Mary Louise is a Westdale busybody and mother of three whose interest in urban neighbourhoods and the urban environment occasionally moves her to write.

Jelly is a local artist, musician, graphic designer, former Mayoral candidate, and part-time clockmaker living and breathing in Hamilton, Ontario. Matt is a staunch advocate for local heritage concerns, and the revitalization of downtown Hamilton. www.mattjelly.com

Matthew is the RTH film and culture critic.

Maxine Kendall is a very busy stay at home Mom of three, plus husband, dog, hedgehog and bearded dragon. Too many years ago, she was in the fashion business, but put it aside to take care of her family. She kept my creative side busy making clothes for the children and creating artsy stuff for the house. A couple of years ago, Maxine discovered writing and never looked back. She writes poetry and short fiction, and has almost completed a children's novel.

Meredith Broughton is a youth pastor and community advocate. She is a board member of the Hamilton Civic League.

Michael Borrelli is a social researcher working in the energy sector. He lives in the Beasley neighbourhood of Hamilton with his partner Megan, and together they co-host My Boy the Riot Girl on CFMU, 93.3FM.

Michael Cumming is a cultural critic and photographer who writes about sustainable urban development and takes great interest in photographing scenes of post-industrial dilapidation. He has training in Architecture and Computational Design and has lived in several cities in Canada, the US and Europe. He is delighted to have settled with his wife and two children in the Strathcona neighbourhood of Hamilton. You can view his website or follow him on Twitter.

Michael Desnoyers and Jack Santa-Barbara are the Chair and Co-chair, respectively, of Hamiltonians for Progressive Development, an organization dedicated to a progressive approach to city planning and development with an emphasis on Vision 2020.

Michelle Hruschka is a member of the CAWDB (Campaign for Adequate Welfare and Disability Benefits) co-chair of the sub committee, Food Security Issues, and involved with the Income Security Working Group. She has been actively trying to organize temp workers and is the chair for the Temp Workers Rghts/Action Group. Her dream is to have a Workers' Centre here in the city.

Michelle Martin and her husband are raising 10 kids in Hamilton, where they relocated from Toronto 10 years ago. She has been published in both the Hamilton Spectator and Raise the Hammer.

Natalie Bull is the Executive Director of the Heritage Canada Foundation. She is happiest when doing porch repairs or glazing windows at her 1840s farmhouse in New Brunswick, which was saved from demolition by her first act of heritage activism.

Nicholas Kevlahan was born and raised in Vancouver, and then spent eight years in England and France before returning to Canada in 1998. He has been a Hamiltonian since then, and is a strong believer in the potential of this city. Although he spends most of his time as a mathematician, he is also a passionate amateur urbanist and a fan of good design. You can often spot him strolling the streets of the downtown, shopping at the Market. Nicholas is the spokesperson for Hamilton Light Rail.

Nikos A. Salingaros is a professor of mathematics at the University of Texas at San Antonio, as well as a noted urbanist and architectural theorist. You may visit his website.

Norma LaForme is a person with disability who lives on Hamilton Mountain. Norma works with people with disabilities and is a trained counsellor. Norma is involved in the Chamber of Commerce.

Paris Rutherford IV, AICP is the Vice President of Planning and Urban Design at RTKL Associates, an architecture firm based on New Urbanist principles.

Patrick Brennan is the artistic director of Public Utility Performance. Public Utility Performance wishes to support a broad variety of performance in Hamilton, Ontario and the surrounding area. PUP grew out of Patrick Brennan technical, managerial and design practice. Recent projects span theatre, film and dance in the professional, community and educational arenas. A need for support of site specific and community arts has arisen out of his involvement with the Downtown Arts Centre. PUP hopes to provide dance and performance artists in Hamilton with both the opportunity to develop new skills and explore new areas of expression and design.

Paul Glendenning is a Hamilton writer and activist.

Paul Shaker is a director with the Centre for Community Study. The article was based on A City Divided: Spatial Trends on Hamilton's Political Landscape, published by the Centre for Community Study, 2006. For more information visit www.communitystudy.ca

Among his many contributions to social justice and environmental sustainability, Peter Hutton represents the Hamilton Social Justice Coalition at the Hamilton Roundtable on Poverty Reduction, is the treasurer of Hamiltonians for Progressive Development and the Hamilton Transit Users Group, serves as a member of the city's Transit Steering Committee, volunteers with Hamilton Light Rail and is also involved with the city's low-income transit subsidy program.

Peter lives near Bayfront Park in Hamilton's historic North End. He enjoys writing about sustainable possibilities and the local benefits that result. Peter is the Green Party of Ontario Candidate for Hamilton Centre.

Praesto Presto is a political analyst who understands the Ottawa culture well enough to protect her anonymity as she navigates its minefields.

Ramzy Baroud is an author and editor of www.palestinechronicle.com. His work has been published in many newspapers and journals worldwide. His latest book is The Second Palestinian Intifada: A Chronicle of a People's Struggle (Pluto Press, London).

Randy Kay is a volunteer with OPIRG McMaster's Transportation for Liveable Communities (TLC) working group. http://www.tlchamilton.org/

Reg Beaudry was the owner of THREE 16 lounge in downtown Hamilton and publisher of Urbanicity Magazine.

Richard Register is an internationally-recognized urban design specialist and activist. He is the founder and President of Ecocity Builders, a non-governmental organization dedicated to environmentally-responsible urban development through public education and consulting with governments and planners.

Roger Lambert was born in Hamilton in 1947 and lived most of his childhood years in the north end. Six years after high school, he was hired nto the Woodward Ave. wastewater treatment plant. He completed a certificate program for environmental studies at Mohawk College and passed the fourth class operator's exam from the Ministry of the Environment and Energy. He is presently retired, but still active in the environmental field, particularly, wastewater treatment.

Roy J. Adams, McMaster University Emeritus Professor, is Executive Director of the Hamilton Civic Coalition a group of community leaders dedicated to realizing the city's potential.

Read about our contributors.

Rudo de Ruijter is an independent analyst based in The Netherlands.

Ryan Danks is a Simulation Developer for a Mississauga based aerospace simulation company. After living in Stoney Creek for many years he and his fiancée are now enjoying all Ward 2 has to offer.

Ryan McGreal, the editor of Raise the Hammer, lives in Hamilton with his family and works as a programmer and writer. Ryan volunteers with Hamilton Light Rail, a citizen group dedicated to bringing light rail transit to Hamilton. He is also is the city editor for H Magazine. Several of his essays have been published in the Hamilton Spectator.

Ryan also maintains a personal website.

Sean Burak was born in Hamilton but raised elsewhere in Ontario. He returned to his birth town at the turn of the century and has never looked back. Sean is the administrator of the Hammerboard forum.

Sonja Macdonald and Paul Shaker are Co-Directors of the Centre for Community Study, a Hamilton-based, not-for-profit organization focused on the research, development, and implementation of public policy.

Stavros Rougas lives in Hamilton and works in media.

Stephen Otto is a Toronto-based historian who once lived in Hamilton and retains a great interest in its history. A former head of Ontario's heritage conservation programs, he has written widely on biographical and architectural subjects, notably in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, and as revising editor of Eric Arthur's Toronto: No Mean City. His most recent book, Robert Wetherell and Dundurn: An Architect in Early Hamilton, was published by Heritage Hamilton in 2004. The preceding piece on F.J. Rastrick is based on a slide lecture he gave to a meeting of the Head of the Lake Historical Society in March, 2003.

Dr. Ted Mitchell is a Hamilton resident juggling life as a physician, parent, and mechanical engineering student at McMaster University. He previously wrote an op-ed for the McMaster Silhouette on Red Hill economics.

Ted Trainer is a professor in the School of Social Work, University of New South Wales. His main interests have been global problems, sustainability issues, radical critiques of the economy, alternative social forms and the transition to them. He has written numerous books and articles on these topics, including, The Conserver Society: Alternatives for Sustainability, Saving the Environment: What It Will Take, and What Should We Do?. He is also developing Pigface Point, an alternative lifestyle educational site near Sydney. Visit his website: http://www.arts.unsw.edu.au/tsw/

Terry Cooke is the President and CEO of Hamilton Community Foundation.

Terry Whitehead is the Councillor for Ward 8 (West Mountain).

Thom Oommen is passionate about building truly sustainable communities. But far from technological solutions and other flights of fancy, he believes that the only way to build a just and ecologically responsible community is to embrace frugality and simplicity. He is currently focusing on actively learning the skills that will enable him and his community to face an unknown future with a measure of confidence. Check out his blog.

Bio: Thomas Wilson is songwriter in Hamilton. He released a CD in 2007 with his wife Sarah, entitled Long Songs and Sinner Ballads. His music can be heard on his MySpace page. He also runs a songwriting workshop in downtown Hamilton called Forge.

Todd Litman is founder and executive director of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, an independent research organization dedicated to developing innovative solutions to transport problems. His work helps to expand the range of impacts and options considered in transportation decision-making, improve evaluation techniques, and make specialized technical concepts accessible to a larger audience. His research is used worldwide in transport planning and policy analysis.

Mr. Litman is author of the Online TDM Encyclopedia, a comprehensive Internet resource for identifying and evaluating mobility management strategies. He has worked on numerous studies that evaluate the costs and benefits of various transportation services and activities. He authored Transportation Cost and Benefit Analysis: Techniques, Estimates and Implications, a comprehensive study of transport impacts, which provides cost and benefit information in an easy-to-apply format.

Todd is active in several professional organizations, including the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the Transportation Research Board (a section of U.S. National Academy of Sciences) and the Centre for Sustainable Transportation. He is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Transportation Research A, a professional journal.

Tom Cooper is the Interim Director of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction.

Tom Mackan is Publisher and editor of NEWZY BITZ, an online Community Theatre newsletter in the GHA, with over 200 subscribers. He is a Member of the Board, Theatre Burlington; an actor and director in GHA Community Theatre for fifty years; winner of over 25 awards and citations in the Western Ontario region and beyond; recipient of 2007 City of Hamilton Arts Award (Theatre); a Graduate of Canadian Theatre School (Sterndale Bennett) Toronto, 1955; and a retired teacher of English and Drama in public and private schools in the GHA and abroad.

Transportation for Liveable Communities is an all-volunteer Sustainable Transportation advocacy group, founded in Hamilton in 2000. TLC supports walking, cycling, transit and other alternatives to single-occupancy vehicle use.

Trey lives in Hamilton with his family. He is co-owner of an advertising agency, develops brand awareness and provides creative services for the entertainment/television business. His essays have appeared in The Energy Bulletin, Post Carbon Institute, Peak Oil Survival, and Tree Hugger, and he has appeared on Toronto's Goldhawk Live. Trey volunteers with the London Chapter of The Council of Canadians. He illustrates building elevations and architecture.