Raise the Hammer

Just a reminder - the event's still on tonight, even with all the snow! (Finally, it feels like it really is February - but we're Canadians, and a little snow never stopped us.)

The sidewalks have been shoveled, the coffee is brewing - now all we need is for you to throw on your snow boots/toques and head on over to the Crossfire Assembly (across from Gilbert's Big and Tall Clothing).

Meredith,

That was a great event. (I'm half of the couple that showed up late with a newborn baby and left early, so I missed most of the Q&A at the end.)

All four panelists (I guess McLean was snowed in) were well-spoken. Props to the panelists and organizers. And extra props to Loren Lieberman for superb moderation. I can't remember the last time I saw a moderator call out speakers for not addressing the question being debated.

It was a great success and the panelists were good, though my favorite was Jeremy, he speaks his mind and boy do I ever like that.

Kudos to all, great work everyone.

I had a lot of fun. Thanks to the league for hosting.

Yes, Jeremy Freiburger was quite outspoken, particularly regarding "developers."

Speaking of which, I was surprised that no one raised the issue of tax breaks for empty buildings.

Round 2 with Jeremy this Thursday at Artword Artbar - 7pm along with musical guest Terra Lightfoot. We'll be talking about the creative catalyst, arts, community renewal and all sorts of good things!

So sorry I missed this. I had planned to go but my day took a few bad turns. Will there be a video posted?

Yes. Many thanks to the Civic League folks for pulling together a great night.
I'm glad everyone enjoyed and I loved being one of the panel. Good mix of positive vibe and lived experience at the table.

Dave's event at Artword should be great on Thursday. We'll get into a bit of the nitty gritty on the Catalyst, hear some great local music from one of my favs Terra Lightfoot, and have a rousing good time at the Art Bar.

Keep up all the positive work folks. Engaged citizens can make all the difference and the Civic League is a great concept to grow - become a member, get a t-shirt, come to events - then please please please vote in the upcoming election.

For the record I'm not running...but I suspect someone else is.

Jeremy

@Jeremy: I'm a bit confused. "Someone else" is running? I thought the Hamilton Civic League was supposed to be strictly nonpartisan. While I'd support most of yesterday's panelists in a bid for political office, I think the HCL would lose some credibility if it's used as a platform for someone's campaign launch.

Not sure who Jeremy is referring to. HCL is clear about it's non-partisan status and mandate and it won't be endorsing any candidates or staking positions on policy matters. Its role is to provide a platform for dialogue, to educate on the mechanics of voting and details of municipal government jurisdiction, and to provide an objective comparison of candidates and incumbents against criteria established by a Values & Priorities survey conducted in a transparent and scientific manner. Declaring candidacy for office would render anyone ineligible for active membership, and to the best of our knowledge none of last night's panelists have indicated their intent to run for office.

@davidvanbeveren,

Thanks for clarifying. Perhaps Jeremy is referring not to someone affiliated with HCL, but rather to someone who's just well known on this message board. Time will tell.

I certainly didn't infer from Jeremy's comment that he was referring to anyone associated with the HCL.

Hey Folks. Certainly wasn't implying anyone from HCL was running.
Just making sure the nasty rumour that I was thinking about is crushed.
Can't wait to see who comes out of the woodwork though.