Special Report: Light Rail

Support. Groups. Too.

Another 67 businesses and organizations have formally stated their support for Hamilton's LRT plan.

By Graham Crawford
Published June 17, 2016

This article has been updated.

Logo-motion continues. Here are 67 more businesses and community groups that support Hamilton's Light Rail Transit (LRT) plan. There were too many to fit on the first poster, which got up to 168 groups.

Please keep sending them to me.

Support. Groups. Too.
Support. Groups. Too.


Here is a list of groups that formally support Hamilton's LRT plan:


Update: Here is a map of the businesses and organizations that have pledged their support for Hamilton's LRT plan:

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 became involved in heritage and neighbourhood issues. He opened Hamilton HIStory + HERitage on James North in 2007, a multi-media exhibition space (aka a storefront museum) celebrating the lives of the men and women who have helped to shape the City of Hamilton.

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By KevinLove (registered) | Posted June 17, 2016 at 07:41:31

Graham,

Thank you for putting this together. The level of support is both impressive and unsurprising. There are many, many people who care for the health, prosperity and future of Hamilton.

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By JasonL (registered) | Posted June 17, 2016 at 09:43:52

I'm probably not the only one thinking this, but let's go out of our way to support these businesses who are speaking up for our future. Too often we only hear from the NIMBY's in Hamilton. Let's reward those who share a city-wide vision to move forward and embrace the future.

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By Delicious support (anonymous) | Posted June 17, 2016 at 09:57:04 in reply to Comment 119432

Showing my support by eating more donuts is a sacrifice I am willing to make. YOU'RE WELCOME HAMILTON!

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By kevlahan (registered) | Posted June 17, 2016 at 09:58:45

So, the total number of Hamilton businesses and community groups officially supporting LRT is up to 168+67=235?

That's great news! Kudos to all these Hamiltonians who are willing to stand up publicly for a $1 billion investment in Hamilton's future.

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By Haveacow (registered) | Posted June 17, 2016 at 10:14:10

Still waiting to see a group that's against LRT.

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By KevinLove (registered) | Posted June 17, 2016 at 10:28:02 in reply to Comment 119435

Yes, we do not want to see any businesses fail. But in a free market economy, some businesses will inevitably go bankrupt.

This could be because of changing technology and customer demand. For example, the bankruptcy of Blockbusters. Or it could be because the company’s management makes bad decisions. For example, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. Or it could be because the business model is unsustainable. For example, the bankruptcy of General Motors and Chrysler.

But I somehow suspect that even the weakest and shakiest of businesses that goes under during the LRT construction will be blamed on the LRT.

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By SSnowling (registered) | Posted June 17, 2016 at 10:42:01 in reply to Comment 119437

And it will be really hard to tell what role LRT played - would they have gone under anyway?

One question - is there any businesses that went under because of the Concession St. rebuild?

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By say what? (anonymous) | Posted June 17, 2016 at 21:32:26

A free market economy? Remind me again of the name of the company that is building the LRT?

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By bobby2 (registered) | Posted June 18, 2016 at 08:37:02

I totally understand the support LRT has from various groups who are focused on the positive attributes. I also know these are intelligent people & don't understand why they don't want to hear the answers to some very important questions that have been raised before they give total support?

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By bobby3 (anonymous) | Posted June 18, 2016 at 09:14:33 in reply to Comment 119451

Maybe because they've looked at it and weighed the pros against the cons, and see it more as this: if the city lobbies the province to provide funding for LRT, the province provides the capital to build what you've lobbied for, then you say that you aren't actually sure you want what you lobbied for, the optics are pretty bad on that. Not to mention, you won't be getting any assistance for any other asks for a generation.

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By TheSpec (anonymous) | Posted June 18, 2016 at 09:39:38

How much is a full-age ad in the Spectator? This is a clear winner for such a thing as the vote gets closer, map included.

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By orangemike (registered) | Posted June 18, 2016 at 09:44:22 in reply to Comment 119452

or....because the approval by the province for hamiltons request for 100% funding for lrt was the end of a complicated process that was ongoing for over a decade. yes, there are a few important details left and thousands of little details left. but the "meat and potatos" work, routes and tecnologoy and so forth HAS been completed and approved by the city and the provnce as the best scenario. so we dont want to revisit lrt vs brt vs flying cars or main/king corridor vs perimeter ring/spoke service. those important details HAVE been decided, again, after a decade plus of planning and study.

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By orangemike (registered) | Posted June 18, 2016 at 09:47:32 in reply to Comment 119452

and talk about not getting any assistance for a generation? heres the current situation. we study rapid transit for a decade. make a decision that lrt is best. we submit a request for lrt as best option. the province agrees its the best option. the province approves our request. and we turn it down. how will the province look upon hamitons requests for infrastructure funding in the future then? pretty bleak.

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By banned_user (anonymous) | Posted June 18, 2016 at 10:47:33 in reply to Comment 119458

comment from banned user deleted

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By Suburbanite (anonymous) | Posted June 18, 2016 at 11:22:03 in reply to Comment 119456

Or a massive flag to hang at City Hall that is visible from Council Chambers ?

Comment edited by Suburbanite on 2016-06-18 11:22:25

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By orangemike (registered) | Posted June 18, 2016 at 11:24:54 in reply to Comment 119459

"i get by with a little help from my friends"

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By orangemike (registered) | Posted June 18, 2016 at 12:38:23 in reply to Comment 119459

"who is this "we" you keep babbling on about?" the "we" that is hamilton. the "we" that worked on a rapid transit solution. the "we" that choose lrt as the premium rapid transit option. the "we" that helped plan and build and design the rapid transit lrt request to the province. the "we" that supports the fully funded lrt. the "we" that will raise and address VALID concerns about the lrt. the "we" that will work to battle fud from anonymous posters and banned rth users and their pet media outlet. the "we" that will ride the lrt.

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By ;-) (anonymous) | Posted June 18, 2016 at 22:58:32

You need to send some big and tall people to Gilbert's for a discussion real soon. ;-)

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By Ask (anonymous) | Posted June 19, 2016 at 17:47:47 in reply to Comment 119438

Contact the Concession Street BIA and find out

concessionstreet dot ca

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By Council (anonymous) | Posted June 19, 2016 at 17:48:28 in reply to Comment 119436

A couple of councillors are against it - does that count as a group?

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By Haveacow (registered) | Posted June 19, 2016 at 21:02:16

Actually, I said back in the original post, any group other than those Councilors and same 3 businesses that keep getting mentioned. Surely by now after a decade or so? Some other group has formed an organized resistance against this LRT plan. I have worked too long in this industry to believe that there are so few organized groups against the LRT plan. Yet, nothing but a few individuals on this website, a few isolated businesses and a group of Provincial and Federal Conservative Party wanabe's maskquerading as city councilors who frankly, after speaking with them in a professional capacity at City Hall some time ago, come across as really not that bright or at all knowledgeable on city planning issues. I refuse to believe that people in Hamilton, even those I disagree with, are this poorly organized.

Maybe this this site is the wrong vehicle to get this information but wow! All I originally wanted to know was how well thought out the opposition position's and arguments against this LRT project truly are. I don't want to hear from cranks and people who really know nothing at all about transit issues. Frankly to all those who are against this LRT project, the people you have chosen locally to represent your point of view and do most of the public speaking about it, have at best, no or very little knowledge about rapid transit are pathetic at explaining their positions! The positions of those Councilors who seem to be the biggest and only hope at stopping this project have come up with little more than run of the mill anti LRT points that, generally do a poor job of hiding their true anti all transit feelings!

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By anti LRT group (anonymous) | Posted June 20, 2016 at 08:30:10 in reply to Comment 119469

The only "group" are 41 people who have liked facebook NOHAMILTONLRT. Not much to see there though.

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By orangemike (registered) | Posted June 20, 2016 at 09:04:43

ancaster community council supports lrt.

http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/6...

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By YESHAMILTONLRT (anonymous) | Posted June 20, 2016 at 09:52:32 in reply to Comment 119470

That, by the way, is a public group so anyone can see who the members are. Of those now 50 members, 6 are multiple people in the same family as the admin, and no businesses at all belong to the group.

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By ref_erendum (registered) | Posted July 20, 2016 at 11:32:00 in reply to Comment 119437

Good point but as soon as you put a road block on any street ROAD CLOSED, all your marketing techniques are worthless. Not any of the above companies failed because they had NO ACCESS. And the point being made is that this inevitably kills your customer base. Habits change and unless you have access to parking like "Gilbert's" as well as a municipal lot beside them they are in a better position to tread water until the project is finished. Once King is under construction entrances to parking lots are now useless. And yes businesses that do fail on King the ones that rely on customers taking the bus or driving it will be because of the LRT driving by their once destimation stop. Tell me who wants to walk a half a km at best to shop or carry parcels. It's a crazy world we live in when buses have bike racks and pretty soon we will be towing auto's as well. LOL

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By ref_erendum (registered) | Posted July 20, 2016 at 11:44:58 in reply to Comment 119474

hmm I guess property owners and landlords don't count. Surprisingly many do not need logos to say no to LRT. I would like to see more comments from businesses that will be aversely affected rather than companies that lose nothing because they are not on King Street. Butcher and Vegan really, you may be a patron to many of these businesses but it does not paint a picture of those who really support an LRT. I am appalled at the outrageous bullying tactics on social media and the personal attacks on businesses and individuals expressing their opinions. We can all agree to disagree but cant we be a little more civil ?

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