Raise the Hammer

I'll kick it off with this letter, subject line "a vision for Hamilton":

Dear City Councillors, Mayor Eisenberger,

In the past few weeks I have poured a great deal of time and passion into the Our City, Our Future project, the campaign whose motion has now been supported by well over three thousand Hamiltonians.

The time and energy I have spent on this has been taken away from my work as a partner in a design and web development agency. More significantly, it has been taken away from my family.

Which begs the question: why do I care so much?

I've always loved and been proud of this city, and I've been an engaged citizen of Hamilton for years, writing letters to the editor, volunteering for my local neighbourhood association, and writing scores of blog posts and articles supporting a progressive, urbanist future for this city.

But exactly three years and two days ago, I was given a new reason to care deeply about this community: the birth of my first child, my son Oliver. I'm now the proud father of two children, and I want, more than almost anything, for them to have happy, prosperous futures here in Hamilton.

I have seen so many of my friends - intelligent, educated, highly capable people - move to Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and other cities over the years, seeking (and finding) more prosperous futures. More poignantly, both of my wife's siblings moved to Ottawa in their early twenties, and now, as they become parents, their children's grandparents (my wife's parents) are a five-hour drive away.

The prospect that my children will need to leave Hamilton in order to reach their full potential is not one that I am willing to tolerate.

The prospect that my grandchildren will live hundreds of kilometers away is one that I dearly hope to avoid.

So to me it is vitally important that this city reinvests in its downtown. That it makes progressive, hopeful, optimistic and educated decisions about its future. It is vitally important to me that all of you listen first and foremost to the city building experts who have recommended a downtown stadium time and time again, and to the thousands of engaged citizens who have made their preference clear.

Not because of money. Not because of a single private interest. But because the future prosperity and happiness of our children depends, in part, on the decision you make tomorrow.

You have the support and encouragement of thousands of citizens on Our City, Our Future, as well as mine.

Sincerely,

Adrian Duyzer - A Proud Hamiltonian