April 2018 | Urbanicity Hamilton

A P R I L 2 0 1 8 / T H E R E A L E S TAT E I S S U E

VIOLENCE AND VANDALISM

APPETITE FOR ARCHITECTURE

BIGGER AND BETTER

REVIVING A HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL ICON INTO THE FUTURE

HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE, AND CHARACTER ARE FUELING HAMILTON BUYERS

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A DEEPER LOOK AT THE ATTACK ON LOCKE ST.

URBANIZING HAMILTON

C O M P L I M E N TA R Y

BUILDING AMBITIONS AT ROYAL CONNAUGHT

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URBANICITY.CA

A MESSAGE FROM P U B L I S H E R + E D I TO R ANDREA FERNANDES andrea@urbanicity.ca

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It often feels like we are in the midst of a renaissance in Hamilton. Historic buildings like the Royal Connaught are re-born into brand new spaces (pg. 4 & 5).

Citizens and developers are snatching up other older homes and buildings for their history and beautiful architecture and renovating them into the present while preserving beautiful hints of the past (pg. 10 & 11) and new businesses are popping up all over the city.

Moving to Hamilton means being a part of a community that, at its core, is striving to be the best version of itself. It’s an incubator for entrepreneurship fueled by spirit and creativity. It’s a community that wants to have healthy debates about gentrification and work together to clean up a city when arguments get too heated (pg. 16 & 17). Living in Hamilton means believing in yourself, the city, and the potential for its future.

Making the move to tackle urbanicity one year ago this month I quickly realised why so many people are flocking to this city. Sure, it’s less expensive to own a home here. But it’s the lifestyle and Hamilton brand that I find most captivating.

Hamilton is home and we hope you enjoy this year's Real Estate Issue.

ANDREA FERNANDES

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Building Ambitions at Royal Connaught Reviving a historic architectural icon into the future

Photos provided by Royal Connaught

Rudi Spallaci Jr., Project Manager, and Site Supervisor

It doesn’t feel like I’ve been working out of CoMotion On King’s offices overly long, but a quick peek out the window sure shows how much has changed. My near-daily view over King Street East is of the beautifully restored Royal Connaught.

a nice extension of the promenade. As the brick-work on the road just outside the front doors conluded, the Connaught’s iconic marquee and entrance was back to being at it’s inviting best, no longer obstructed by heavy equipment and safety fencing.

It was about a year ago now when I had the opportunity to meet Rudi Spallaci Jr., the Royal Connaught’s Construction Site Manager, and embark on an impressive guided tour. Just seeing what they had done with the lobby was jaw dropping. A restoration success story – retaining seemingly-impossible amounts of the orginal building and even uncovering some unseen treasures.

One more iconic addition to the neighbourhood is set to open soon, too. As many passersby have noticed, a Starbucks is taking up residence in the ground-floor retail space off of King Street East. Whether you’re a fan of their coffee or not, they’ve long been associated with revived neighbourhoods on the cusp of thriving. And, thanks to their trusted site selection process, they, essentially, do the heavy lifting for other retailers looking to set up shop and reap the rewards. All good signs for the Royal Connaught as well as our city’s downtown.

Today, as I glance across the street, the transition of the entire neighbouhood is very evident. The refreshing and revitalization of Gore Park is now complete; the results feel like a more comfortable and welcoming downtown.

The Royal Connaught sits at the eastern limits of the urban park, providing

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“The Starbucks annoucment was exciting for me personally,” explains Rudi Spallaci Jr. “They were one of the first companies we wanted to engage with

about leasing space. I was able to invite a representative of theirs to tour the retail spaces and our lobby.” And, like most who have paid a visit, the tour left quite an impression. “They were floored by the potential they saw and just how great of a match the Starbucks brand was with our aesthetics, architecture and brand. As a Hamiltonian, it’s going to be incredible to see a globally-recognized and renowned brand such as Starbucks in the Gore.”

This is more than just a moral victory for this area of King Street East. Let’s not forget that up until just a few years ago, this strip was stricken with critical levels of blight. Beyond a few storefronts, it was a sad story of historical buildings abandoned and left to rot.

That’s almost hard to believe now. The momentum of condo unit sales at the Royal Connaught continues to be brisk.

Phase Two of the development is now more than 95% sold out; which, Spallacci Jr. happily reports, has kept everyone on their toes since the units were released in February.

The developers, Spallacci Group and Valery Homes, have a substantial tenure in the city; boasting over 120 years of construction and development experience on their collective rosters. Even with this wealth of experience, their excitement about the progress of this project can’t be ignored. At least, I can’t ignore it. In my tours of the building and my chats with members of the team, it’s easy to sense the amount of heart that’s going into this project. They’re proud of what this building means to Hamilton, and they’re proud of what they can offer buyers.

Jumping right to the rational, Spallacci Jr. notes the real, tangible benefit that they’re bringing to the market. “We’re known for craftsmanship that can’t be replicated. Our floorplans offer something for everyone. They’re spacious and extremely livable.”

Location is continuing to drive sales here as well. Home-buyers from around the GTA continue to make their way to Hamilton to capitalize on

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“THE REALITY IS, IN RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE, THE PURCHASER WANTS A PLACE THAT THEY CAN COMFORTABLY LIVE IN,”

Photos provided by Royal Connaught

downtown’s resurgence and, of course, the better prices. Our conversation, like many in these parts, became about the value proposition between listings in Toronto versus here at home in Hamilton. Strictly looking at the dollars and cents, the balance remains heavily weighted in our favour. And, considering the number of developments sprouting up in our downtown core, it’s an important selling feature.

His connection to this city seems to be an inherited trait. Beyond the positive sales figures, there’s a definite level of personal satisfaction that the Spallacci’s get from seeing their developments contribute to the community. Even in our discussions about the Royal Connaught, a job-site that Rudi has been on for four years now, he still notes how he loves taking a slow walk by the building to soak up the view of it.

“The reality is, in residential real estate, the purchaser wants a place that they can comfortably live in,” explains Spallaci Jr., “That’s number one. In Toronto there are so many studios. It’s difficult to live in a studio, even if you’re one person. You want some room to breathe.”

A quality-built, liveably spacious condo unit that’s within a few blocks from just about everything is something that would come at an astronomical price in Toronto.

“To see the windows lit up, people coming in and out of the building, people using the amenities, seeing the revitalized exterior – it’s just overwhelmingly positive for me.”

After living in Toronto while completing his Bachelor and Master’s degrees, Rudi was well exposed to the issues of value that renters and home buyers face in Toronto. Plus, to him, Hamilton is home. Soon after capturing his degrees, he made the move back to be closer to his girlfriend, Sarah, and the rest of his family.

But, this seed of civic pride was planted long before the Connaught restoration began. Rudi basically grew up on the construction site. He recalls every Saturday morning he’d go with his grandfather to visit various projects. By grade 7, this became his full-time summer job; lasting right through six years of post-secondary education. This is where he got to see how the homes and schools they built created a community. And when you talk to him, you can tell this left a lasting impression. “It’s a beautiful thing to be a part of – especially doing it here in Hamilton.”

BY CHRIS SANISLO

Chris Sanislo is a freelance copywriter with a passion for Hamilton. He has over 15 years of experience in the Canadian Advertising industry. Chris crafts his copy from downtown Hamilton's CoMotion on King, where he serves as the in-house blogger. @ chrissanislo

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Bigger and Better Urbanization in Hamilton

A recent United Nations projection determined that by 2050, over 70% of the world’s population will be living in cities. The tide of urbanization is inevitable, which is why it is vital that it be used as a means to create strong, sustainable communities.

Cities must, therefore, ensure housing reflects the needs of the population: that employment opportunities are ample and accessible and that a collectivist approach is maintained with urban planning.

The advantages of urbanization are enormous. The process can provide solutions for many of our modern problems, such as unemployment, pollution, an aging population, social exclusion, and inefficient transportation.

Already, Hamilton has been reaping the benefits of urbanization in some of its now booming areas: Jamesville has become an artist’s mecca; our downtown core has never been more diverse or more robust; across the city, SoBi bikes are available for use; and soon, we will have Light Rail Transit, a major step forward for this city’s green transportation initiative. As real estate professionals, it’s important to understand what drives the phenomenon of urbanization and how you can be part of the change in a positive way.

THE H EA L T H CA RE S EC TO R When we speak of healthcare, one should recall that the largest employer in our city is Hamilton Health Sciences. We as Hamiltonians are proud of the number of medical positions our city produces. We got the chance to connect with a director and PhD at McMaster University who insightfully answers the question “What is one major fact people should know about Hamilton’s health sector right now?”

He explains, “Hamilton is booming because of the healthcare sector and, as

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a result, is becoming Toronto’s Brooklyn. We get lots of job inquiries because people from Toronto are interested in moving to Hamilton for the lower cost of living, higher quality of life, and easy public transportation to big city amenities when they want them.”

Undoubtedly, this new venture provides a great incentive for serious, well-trained professionals to reside in Hamilton. With an influx of these professions comes a positive effect on the city’s real estate market. The condominium market, in particular, is expected to increase significantly as more and more qualified workers seek gainful employment in the area. Recent trends solidify this notion as single, urban, professionals in their middle adult years demand big city condos priced in the $400,000 range. Within this ideal, these singles are searching for buildings in appealing neighborhoods, close to transit.

T H E AG ING POPUL ATION Hamilton is an aging population, and as baby boomers enter retirement age, it is important that Hamilton’s downtown core be prepared for them. Hamilton has already begun the process of revamping its infrastructure to accommodate these changes. If it’s not our newly added LRT route, it’s the city’s Smart Streets, which includes an overall design to a) be shared by all modes of transportation; b) maximize safety for all users; and, c) minimize life-cycle environmental impacts. In addition to the ongoing inclusive transportation changes, the city is in its primary stage of providing affordable housing in service-rich, dense neighborhoods.

WH AT DOE S TH IS M E AN? Whether you are an investor or builder, it is important to realize that the city will need to increase its number of

Photo provided by Doyle Team

both commercial and lifestyle components to catch the eye of the new urban dwellers. With this comes the opportunity for the unique bar you’ve been thinking of, or that fresh bakery with a twist. Especially if these establishments are a short distance from the condominiums in the downtown core.

OTH E R FACTOR S TO CON SI DER Tax Incentives - The trend of urbanization provides exciting possibilities for businesses to collaborate with the public sector. Sale of Land - Funding larger projects for the city creates a new opportunity for investors to purchase land that otherwise would be harder to access. Densification - The increase in residential density in the downtown core is currently being expanded by the city, which also serves to expand Hamilton’s tax base.

Undoubtedly, people are driven by connection to opportunity and Hamilton has a strong connection with the surrounding area. Perfectly situated in terms of geography, possessing an increasingly strong workforce and boasting a surprising natural beauty, Hamilton is poised to be the Canadian city of the 21st century.

WRITTEN BY: BEN ZARATE DATA AND INFORMATION ANALYST AT THE DOYLE TEAM

We are The Doyle team, located at 1044 Cannon St. E Hamilton Ontario, we understand real estate for all its uses. We have built a team of professionals. No matter how difficult or complicated a deal may be we ensure your success. We take pride in being passionate and knowledgeable individuals and being one of the most innovative real estate teams around. www.thedoyleteam.ca

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With Judy Marsales Real Estate Ltd, expect nothing less than experienced professionals that offer knowledge on Hamilton’s real estate market and a commitment to guiding you through every step of your home buying/selling experience. Each representative of our office understands that the root of our business success is service.

WESTDALE 905.522.3300

ANCASTER 905.648.6800

LOCKE STREET 905.529.3300

www.judymarsales.com Call Us, Email Us, Visit our Website…. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! Urbanicity_April2018 - Modified.indd 8

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Did You Know...

16.4% 25&24 15.3%

IN THE RESIDENTIAL MARKET, LISTINGS WERE UP 16.4 PER CENT COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND SALES WERE DOWN SIX PERCENT.

AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET DROPPED TO 25 DAYS FROM 26 IN THE FREEHOLD SECTOR AND TO 24 DAYS FROM 27 IN THE CONDO MARKET.

IN THE OVERALL RESIDENTIAL MARKET, THE MEDIAN SALE PRICE WAS UP 15.3 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND THE AVERAGE PRICE WAS UP 14.6 PER CENT

SOURCE: http://www.rahb.ca/market-stats/

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Appetite for Architecture History, architecture, and character are fueling Hamilton buyers

All photos by Tom Vogel - vogelcreative.com

Before people started flocking to Hamilton for our lower-than-Toronto real estate prices, our city offered a different kind of fuel for the buyer. History and architecture slice through the sea of sameness and add true heart to the house hunt. Older homes attract the attention of history aficionados and people who admire the unique architecture of ‘pre-war’ buildings, giving them an important market of their own.

Colette Cooper, local broker at Royal LePage Estate Realty, experienced this recently when a character laden listing of hers on Fairleigh Avenue South sold prior to the scheduled open house, fetching the highest recorded sale on that street. Cooper states, “Buyers love

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the historical significance of these properties such as who they were built for when they were built, the type of architecture, and the architect who designed them.”

Hamilton homeowner, Ian Fox, purchased his house in the north end nine years ago and was drawn to her 110-year-old features including stained glass, original hardwood, and arches. He jokes that it is their new home since they moved from an even older north end property built in the 1880s. All joking aside, Ian and his wife love the solid construction older homes offer.

The saying ‘they don't build 'em like they used to’ is generally true. Established houses are built to last, and many aspects of the construction cannot be reproduced today, from triple brick construction to detailed millwork and artisanal glasswork. These character homes are also located in established locations which are highly attractive to today’s buyers for several reasons including walkability, lot size, and lot maturity. Ironically, after decades trying to build the idyllic suburbia, it turns out that early city planners were onto something 100 years ago.

And lasting construction is not the only benefit older home buyers will receive.

According to an article published on

the Ontario Real Estate Association website, two academic studies have shown that properties within Heritage Conservation District boundaries tend to hold their value better, even in depressed markets. Their timeless designs not only grow with the market but maintain their architectural appeal, unlike new builds whose craftsmanship and quality has become increasingly commoditized.

Cooper agrees that older homes offer the locations that buyers are looking for. “Our wonderful lower city neighbourhoods are dense with these ‘old beauties’. Buyers love the features of beautiful woodwork in flooring adorned with inlays, wooded trim and beams, leaded and sometimes curved

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windows, and plaster embellishments on ceilings and archways. These materials are not feasible in today’s construction of houses due to their costs and the fact that the artisans who created them are rare to find in order to replicate. Many of these features are a lost art appreciated by buyers of these fine old houses.”

To quantify the phenomenon, I analyzed ‘past 90-day’ stats of nearly 50 homes located in Hamilton centre, west and mountain districts, all of which sold for over-asking (between $400,000 and $2,000,000). I then separated these by pre-war and post-war era homes. It was interesting to discover that the post-war homes averaged 2.8% over-asking, and the pre-war homes 1.9% over asking. This compared to earlier in 2017 where Cooper said houses were easily selling 20% or more over list price.

With the over-asking data not being as revealing as hoped for, I dug deeper and found some great stats to support ‘team pre-war’. These historic homes averaged 9% higher in sale price and sold 28% (or 3.2 days) faster than their post-war counterparts. And a pre-war construction home in Hamilton’s Westdale neighbourhood also garnered the highest cost per square foot amongst all the ‘sold over’ homes analyzed.

Steve Roblin, a broker with Judy Marsales Real Estate Ltd. has witnessed similar in his experience. According to Roblin, “If a particular buyer is attracted to an older Dundas, Hamilton, or Ancaster home, they are likely not alone. And if the character has been maintained or enhanced, it will help that home to sell quickly and for top dollar (often in competition). This contrasted to comparable homes where all the character has been stripped out,

the interested pool of buyers and, ultimately, the sale price would be lower.”

Net-net, these storied homes dangle their ‘character carrots’ and emotionally allure, often preempting things such as undesirable condition or location that would normally prevent a sale.

Take a look at the ‘Bank of Montreal House’ on Ravenscliffe, for example, which had location on her side (for days) but required significant investment beyond her near $2.5 million asking price. Had it not been for her grand proportions, preserved character, and endearing appeal, she never would have sold so quickly, nullifying the home inspection and future work required.

Colette Cooper echoes that sentiment, stating, “Not all these houses come in ‘move in condition’ and thankfully there are buyers who have the energy and dollars to restore these old houses. Turn of the century properties can come with their own unique challenges such as knob and tube wiring, galvanized plumbing and painted over woodwork which becomes a buyers’

‘labour of love’ to restore to their original beauty. These are costly items and can take time but in the end, the buyers have the satisfaction of having restored these houses to their original beauty.”

Another recent example of architecture ‘winning’ was an Edwardian semi on Charlton Avenue West which sold for a record (close to) $1.0 million on a stretch of the street more common for commercial businesses and midrise apartment buildings than residential residences. But all who toured the interior of this 1897 beauty would unabashedly agree the sale price didn’t even come close to matching the irreplaceable character value. Charlton awed in so many ways, from her original carved mahogany staircase which wrapped into a seated bench in the foyer, to the magnificent pair of 7.5’ foot McCausland of Toronto painted stained glass windows which graced the secondfloor landing.

Clearly, Hamiltonians have an appetite for architecture and thank goodness our great city has a full menu of options to keep buyers licking their character chops.

BUYERS LOVE THE FEATURES OF BEAUTIFUL WOODWORK IN FLOORING ADORNED WITH INLAYS, WOODED TRIM AND BEAMS, LEADED AND SOMETIMES CURVED WINDOWS, AND PLASTER EMBELLISHMENTS ON CEILINGS AND ARCHWAYS.

BY ADAM WILSON

Adam Wilson is the voice behind FreshBrick.blogspot.ca, a community for people looking to buy, sell or simply admire homes rich with history and character. The custom curated content focuses on Adam’s hometown of Hamilton and expresses his passion for the properties he profiles alongside his incredible civic pride. freshbrick.blogspot.ca

Colette Cooper, Broker 905-648-4451 | colettecooper@royallepage.ca

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Regus Launches New Coworking Space in Hamilton Modern, spacious, colorful, and equipped with the newest office technology As a sole entrepreneur or a small business, one of the first things you need to determine is where exactly will you conduct your business. There are a thousand places that can become your office. Hamilton is home to many different types of workspaces and in March a new one opened up right downtown, just steps from Jackson Square.

Regus is one of the largest providers of flexible workplaces in the world. They manage three thousand locations in nine hundred cities in one hundred and twenty countries. It’s been in the business for thirty years, eighteen of which they have been in Canada, so it’s not a surprise that the company would recognize the changing nature of the economy and the upward trend of startup entrepreneurship. Workforce Planning Hamilton’s annual survey of employers released in 2017 showed that nearly 20% of respondents were startup businesses. Those businesses need professional workplaces to grow, nurture, and expand. There’s only so much you can do in a home office.

Coworking spaces offer flexible membership packages to businesses or entrepreneurs who need space to work out of and conduct meetings. Members can rent desk spaces, single-person office spaces, or various configurations of the two right up to big spaces that can be used by your own fledgling team, by the day, week, or month.

Beyond that, coworking spaces have turned into effective business community meeting places. The nature of working together, but separately, leaves room for opportunity. You never know who you’re going to meet at the desk next to yours. When business people join coworking spaces, “everyone throws ideas off each other,” Randy Bell, Regus Hamilton’s Community Manager, explains.

Regus’ Hamilton office is located at 21 King St. West. Randy loves giving tours. Located on the 5th floor, the office wraps around the building, offering views of the downtown core, from the busy James St. North and King St. West intersection to the rooftop terrace of Jackson Square, to the MacNab Street Bus Terminal. Natural light fills the floor from all sides and the office is modern, spacious, colorful, and equipped with the newest office technology. “As times change, we change,” Randy says, pointing out

Photos provided by Regus

the television/whiteboard in the main boardroom accessible by any laptop.

Club spaces are configured to host community events and partners or for coworking where people can collaborate and innovate together. You can use the space for an hour, or make that desk your home.

Wayne Berger, EVP of Regus Canada, says it surprised people when Hamilton was announced as Regus’ next coworking space. Was this city ready for a Regus co-working space? He points to Hamilton’s character as a deciding factor to opening the King St. space.

“There’s no pretense (to Hamilton),” he says, “(plus), you’re getting more people who want to open businesses (in the city).”

Regus wants to offer fledgling businesses all the variables that a small business or entrepreneur needs to flourish as a business. 21 King St. gives business owners the full benefit of being in a downtown city – access to retail, food, public transit, and any other variable to make a business work, including access to City Hall just a block south of the office.

Wayne is hopeful this new space will inspire further economic development in the city, and the team has already begun to reach out to local community business organizations to let them know they are available as a space for networking opportunities, community events, educational and social events, and more. “We want to partner with them to provide a workspace where startups and established businesses can meet.”

To celebrate their opening, Regus Hamilton is inviting Hamilton startups to participate in their Startup Alley on April 25 from 5 – 8 pm. Guests will travel around Startup Alley to hear your pitch and vote for the top two.

Winners will receive either a 6 months membership to Regus Hamilton or a Businessworld Gold Card. To sign up, just visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/regushamiltonlaunch

Regus also offers more than the average coworking space – access to their global network of business spaces worldwide. Any member of Regus can utilize the club spaces in over 3,000 locations worldwide to “grow their landscape,” as Wayne describes it.

Hamilton’s ability to attract worldclass development business is an indication that our economic renaissance continues to expand. And it takes one more underutilized space in the city and turns it into something useful.

Welcome to Hamilton, Regus.

BY OLGA KWAK

OLGA KWAK is a Hamilton-based writer and marketer. Her work has appeared in She Does the City, Torontoist, Toronto Star, The Genteel, and PRODUCT Magazine. She builds websites and writes from her office on Barton Street East. Visit www.olgakwak.com for more advice on doing the right thing online.

@ olgakwak

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The Do's and Don'ts of Roofing Harold and Goetz celebrates their 97th year

Harold and Goetz Building Products Ltd are a local Roofing and Construction Company who are celebrating their 97th year in business. After a harsh winter, a lot of homeowners will be experiencing deterioration, damage, and leaks from their roof.

Having completed 17,000 roofs, Harold and Goetz are here to talk the Do’s and Don'ts of roofing that homeowners need to consider when replacing their roof.

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Do consider different material options. You don't have to replace your existing roof with the exact same roofing material. Discuss the best options for your area and budget.

Do select a desirable look. A roof can last between 20 and 50 years, so it's important to pick one that maximizes your curb appeal. View color and style options.

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Do check wind and fire ratings.

Most roofing materials come with ratings which will tell you the resistance to wind and fire. Not all manufacturers submit their materials for such testing, but it is recommended that you select a product which has been rated.

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Do always use Ice Shield on eaves, valleys, and low slope areas to prevent ice build-up from damaging your roof.

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A dependable roofing company has their own trained and hourly-paid employees who typically provide better workmanship than a piece worker.

Only use licensed and insured roofing companies to avoid potential roofing disasters.

Do prepare your home. With an installation crew walking around on your roof and pounding away, you can expect a certain amount of shaking in your home. Be sure to remove pictures from walls and pack away any fragile items that may fall from shelves prior to the start of the project.

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Don't allow a contractor to talk you into shortcuts. Contractors sometimes try to lower costs by cutting corners on material expenses.

Don’t try to save money or time on the installation of felt paper, starter shingles, flashing, or proper sealants and caulk. You will end up paying for it down the road because your home will require new decking, new fascia, or even another new roof.

Don't allow children to play near the work site. Be sure to keep your children and pets away from the work zone at all times during the project. Materials thrown from the roof and loose nails in the yard can cause injury.

Don’t forget about proper ventilation for your roof. Your contractor should help you choose a suitable ventilation solution. Ventilation is very important, and extra vents are inexpensive.

Harold & Goetz is committed to providing exceptional customer service, delivering first-rate installations and supplying only the best products. They are one of the few preferred contractors in Ontario and all of their roofs come with full transferable warranties.

In celebration of their 97th year in business, they are offering Urbanicity readers a 5% discount on their roof. For a FREE estimate, you can call them on 1(866) 898-0310 or visit their website at www.haroldandgoetz.com

BY RICK EVANS

Rick has been successfully managing and growing retail stores in the hardwood flooring, lumber and hardware industries for over 20 years. A Hamilton native, Rick settled in Brantford a few years ago with his wife and three kids.

www.haroldandgoetz.com

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Violence and Vandalism A deeper look at the attack on Locke St.

On the evening of Saturday, March 3, 30 masked people assembled in Durand Park, marched west along Aberdeen Avenue smashing car windows and shouting, and then proceeded down Locke Street, throwing rocks through store

windows and shooting firecrackers. The only statement they made was a banner reading, “We Are The Ungovernable�, an anarchist slogan that has turned up in previous antiestablishment protests in Hamilton.

Photo by Carmela Oliverio

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The attack coincided with that weekend's Hamilton Anarchist Bookfair, and the perpetrators' tactics exactly matched riot footage that was used to make a promotional video for the bookfair. (Police have stated that they have evidence linking the riot with the fair.)

The main clearinghouse for anarchist organizing in Hamilton is The Tower, a facility that takes a hard line against gentrification and advocates direct action against what it regards as the inherently exploitive system of capitalist liberal democracy governing Canadian society. Anarchist posts explicitly advocate propaganda, graffiti and vandalism against businesses that are believed to be contributing to gentrification, including previous acts of vandalism against businesses centred around the James North and Barton Street area.

What we call “gentrification� is made up of at least three distinct phenomena that are interacting in Hamilton right now: 1. Middle-class residents choosing to move into urban neighbourhoods that were previously low-income; 2. A nationwide upward trend in housing prices over the past two decades, due in large part to historically low interest rates; and 3. Steadily widening income inequality since the 1970s.

Taken together, these trends are a real crisis for people who are being indirectly squeezed out of their homes by

developing policy tools and engaging in constructive exercises to raise awareness and build a democratic constituency that can effect change.

Unfortunately, the branch of Hamilton's anarchist community that advocates rock-throwing has already foreclosed the potential of engaging in more constructive dialogue and capacity building.

In a bizarre exercise of intellectual laziness, the anarchist manifesto plastered around downtown a couple of years ago rationalizes away every effort to make our society more humane, inclusive and just by claiming that such efforts merely legitimize the system of capitalist exploitation.

WE NEED TO HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW TO REINVEST IN URBAN NEIGHBOURHOODS WITHOUT DRIVING OUT THE PEOPLE ALREADY LIVING THERE.

To be clear, there does not appear to be any direct evidence linking the riot with The Tower, but the circumstances warrant careful investigation.

The Tower denied having organized the riot, but expressed support for it in a statement: "First, no, the actions on Locke and Aberdeen on Saturday night were not organized by the Tower, but yes, we support what happened and are in solidarity with those who carried them out." The statement continued: "All the dramatics from Locke St show that they expected not only to make money pursuing their self-interest and ignoring its impacts on others, they expected to also be loved for it."

The Tower allows that small, independent business owners are not "the main driver of gentrification and the suffering it brings", but that they deserve to be attacked anyway because they have "put themselves on the side of the speculators and landlords, positioning themselves to profit off forces that harm most of their neighbours."

As such, The Tower holds itself "in solidarity with everyone who resists the dominant powers in this city" and "oppose[s] all repression and all collaboration with the police."

Buried in the statement's ethical contortions to celebrate violence without taking responsibility for it, some genuine points are raised about the crisis of inequality and injustice in Hamilton. Gentrification is an extremely complex, multi-layered issue that does not resolve nicely into a dogmatic class-warfare analysis, but there is no question that the urban revitalization dynamics unleashed in Hamilton over the past few years have distributed their benefits and costs unevenly.

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Photo by Ryan McGreal

rising prices or, more directly, evicted by landlords looking to raise rental prices. As a city, we are not doing nearly enough to understand what is going on, let alone to address and mitigate it effectively.

We need to have a serious conversation about how to reinvest in urban neighbourhoods without driving out the people already living there. Unfortunately, incidents like the Locke Street riot makes that task more difficult, by turning the violence and vandalism into the story.

As for the attackers themselves, we still don't know who they are but I am not persuaded for a moment that they were marginalized victims of gentrification struggling for recognition. The attack looks exactly like the work of bourgeois radicals looking for cathartic kicks.

Meaningful civic advocacy is hard work. It involves organizing, building relationships, listening carefully, finding common ground across sectors,

They oppose public services like transit, affordable housing and healthcare because they merely serve to make us "more valuable to the capitalists while also experiencing less starkly the fact of our oppression." They dismiss democracy as a "smothering blanket" under which people who oppose development "contribute to its legitimacy" by "obligingly stepping into the role of loyal opposition".

Instead of doing the hard work of organizing, this group advocates "a purely negative approach" in order to "bring fault lines to the surface and force the contradictions that urbanists and leftists try to plaster over." That approach entails attacking developers, rejecting the arts, refusing to go to trendy places, refusing to support transit, and refusing to participate in charity. Instead, they advocate graffiti, propaganda, vandalism and sabotage.

And what happens once those contradictions have surfaced and we cannot ignore them any longer? With what do we replace the messy collage of capitalism and liberal democracy in which we live today? That's where the manifestos and propaganda pieces fall silent. It's easier to throw a rock through a window and feel pleased with yourself for a few minutes than it is to work toward building a better world.

BY RYAN MCGREAL

Ryan McGreal is the editor of Raise the Hammer (raisethehammer.org), a civic affairs website in Hamilton. He is also a founding volunteer with Hamilton Light Rail (hamiltonlightrail.ca), a citizens group dedicated to bringing rapid transit to Hamilton. He lives in Hamilton with his family and works as a programmer, writer and consultant. @ ryanmcgreal

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