Raise the Hammer

Dear Hamilton Mayor Eisenberger and Hamilton City Council,

We're only 24 hours away from a massive decision that will go down in Hamilton's history as a defining moment. Your vote will make a strong statement to the other municipalities of Canada, to businesses and investors around the world, to the federal and provincial governments, and most importantly to the citizens you represent at City Hall.
By voting for the east mountain stadium location, you will declare Hamilton as a weak, regressive, sprawl-friendly city. You will state to everyone that Hamilton doesn't have the strength to stand up for its citizens. You will state that Hamilton is ultimately just trying to stay afloat, that we'll settle for what we can get.
By voting for the west harbour stadium location, you will declare Hamilton as a strong, progressive, bold and ambitious city. You will state to everyone that Hamilton is not run by external business interests, and that Hamilton's city council is truly prepared to defend the best interest of its citizens. You will state that Hamilton doesn't need to settle for Toronto's crumbs, but rather we are prepared to take our place as a model of 21st century urban revitalization. You will state to the people of Hamilton that we are worth investing in.

Nothing great has ever been accomplished without controversy or risk. The risks as presented on paper seem daunting, but I assure you: Hamiltonians will rise to the challenge of making a waterfront stadium successful. We have several years before the stadium would open during which to improve our transit infrastructure, increase our residential urban density, and prepare for Pan Am. Look at the progress of the last five years in our downtown. The momentum is incredible, and will only increase! The business case for the West Harbour stadium is solid, and will only improve as Hamilton confidently strides to meet the challenges ahead.

The Hamilton Tiger Cats corporation, Pan Am Hostco, the federal government, and the Province of Ontario have all wagered against us. However, none of them live in our great city. None of them know the excited whispers of Hamiltonians describing the developments taking place in their neighbourhoods. None of them know the vibrancy of an Art Crawl, or the fiery passion of a lifelong Hamiltonian for their city. None of them understand what it is like to find out their neighbourhood has a toxic waste dump beside it. None of them have a lifelong stake in Hamilton. We do.

You are our city council. You are Hamiltonians. You know what this city is, and what it is becoming. You know what an east mountain stadium means, and you know what a west harbour stadium means. You know how to vote on Tuesday.

This is about our city, and our future. Thank-you for representing us.

Sincerely,
-Martinus Geleynse