Raise the Hammer

Join us Sat March 20th for Seedy Saturday 2010.

The Hamilton Community Garden Network (HCGN), Canadian Organic Growers (COG), and the Ecological Farmer's Association of Ontario (EFAO) will be hosting a seed exchange and opportunities for seed purchasing, displays and information about community gardening opportunities that exist in the city, and a line-up of engaging speakers throughout the afternoon, including:

Prof. Sarah Wakefield, University of Toronto, will be presenting the impacts of community gardening in Hamilton, as well as a review of community garden policy.

Kevin Hamilton, a Canadian Organic Growers representative and local farmer, will be presentation on the topic of seed saving and seed politics.

Finally, Teresa Phair, from the McQuesten Community Planning Team, will be discussing her group's journey in developing a community garden in their neighbourhood.

The event is FREE for all to attend.

50/50 Draw Donations Welcome After Sunrise Ceremony Breakfast provided Drum for Draw Potluck lunch Bring Family and Friends!

On March 22nd the Hamilton Civic League presents the second installment of its monthly Speaker Series entitled “Transportation in Hamilton: Challenges, Goals and Possibilities.”

Featuring guest panelists from: Hamilton Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee ; Transit Users Group ; McMaster Institute for Transportation & Logistics ; Transportation for Liveable Communities.

Join us for a frank and wide-ranging discussion of Hamilton's transportation systems and road network. Voice your opinion on what specific considerations should inform City planning and policy in this area. What issues MUST be part of the campaign discourse in this election year?

Making Media Public: Global Crises and Local Opportunities

Conference Call for Papers and Presentations

Traditional ways of making media are in crisis and steadfast models are threatened with extinction: media giants teeter on the edge of bankruptcy, local television stations are being closed, thousands of media workers have been laid off, and community radio and television are poorly supported. At the same time, new media are increasingly embraced by publics that, linked through social networks, produce and distribute an increasing range of their own content. Old media meet new technology, traditional policies meet global political and economic challenges, and the future of journalism is under intense debate. In this volatile climate, the need to develop new media models and policies is urgent.

This conference, which is being held in Toronto at York and Ryerson Universities from 6-8 May 2010, will bring together a range of media publics, including local media producers, media and academic workers, students, policy makers, researchers, journalists, media activists and public organizations, to address the following questions: If the old models aren’t working, what are the possibilities for reorganizing media production in Canada? What opportunities and challenges does the current political economic climate pose for independent, autonomous and community media? How can mainstream media workers and their unions influence media development? What are essential public policy tenets, and what kinds of new policies can be forged?

The conference offers a unique opportunity to exchange experiences, ideas and strategies, to critique current models of media production, to problem-solve, and to envision new ways to democratically facilitate people’s participation in media decision-making. The goal is to help “make media public” — that is, to develop and build media models that address local concerns, that are sustainable, autonomous and independent, and involve a wide range of participation that reflect the daily political economic, social and cultural experiences of communities in Canada.

The conference is focused on four interrelated themes: history, labour, policy, and alternative/independent and community media. Submissions are invited on these themes and others that address the goal of “Making Media Public.” Participation may include:

• Multimedia presentations - Panel suggestions - Formal papers and reports, both academic and non-academic - Informal presentations/displays of existing projects and initiatives

Deadline for submissions: 1 December 2009. Submissions should take the form of a proposal/outline of your contribution (500 words maximum), as well as contact information and organizational affiliation, if any. Please email submissions as an attachment to mmp2010@yorku.ca.

On Monday, October 25, 2010 Vote Michael James Baldasaro Mayor of Hamilton.

PLATFORM:

• Lower property taxes through better management and fiscally responsible Government.
• Re-establishment of the Office of Mayor in each of the Cities that originally had a Mayor – Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough Glanbrook, Hamilton, Mount Hope and Stoney Creek.
• Better, more effective deployment of City Employees, Police & Health Officers and other Municipal Support Agencies.
• A Municipal Office and Emergency Centre in each Community.
• Encourage lower income family home ownership.
• Convene an all Citizen’s Coalition to discuss, record and suggest alternatives to obviously existing problems such as violence, homelessness, substance abuse and prostitution.
• Civic Centre at Jackson Sq.
• Turn remodelled City Hall over to McMaster Hospitals to be used as a Health Care Facility and Teaching Centre.
• 2 hr. free parking – remove parking meters.
• A beautiful clean, green, safe City for all to play in and enjoy.
• Equal Justice For All.
• I will listen to you.

Be well and prosper, In peace, bless us all. Michael James Baldasaro