Diberdayakan oleh Blogger.

Popular Posts Today

Will U.S. Steel's closure of steel making cause your taxes to go up?

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 31 Oktober 2013 | 22.46

U.S. Steel has already applied to pay lower taxes, and city officials worry that the decision to permanently shutter steel-making operations in Hamilton will mean an even larger tax burden for residential taxpayers.

The corporation is Hamilton's third largest taxpayer. It pays $9.1 million per year, $6 million of which goes to the city. It's already appealing its tax assessment to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) for 2009 to 2013.

With Tuesday's announcement that the corporation will halt its idle steel-making operations in Hamilton, U.S. Steel could apply for an even farther cut, said Larry Friday, the city's director of taxation.

"It's quite significant," Friday said of U.S. Steel's impact on local tax bills. "To put it in perspective, at one point, they were our highest taxpayer."

Hamilton's Highest Taxpayers

ArcelorMittal Dofasco: $13.3 million (2013)

Lime Ridge Mall: $11.7 million

U.S. Steel: $9.1 million

U.S. Steel said this week that it would permanently close iron and steel making at Hamilton Works. Coke making and steel finishing remains. The decision impacts 47 non-union workers.

The concern was one of a number of issues raised through the city as news of the shutdown sunk in: Others included could there be another buyer to restart the plant, and what might happen to the waterfront industrial lands being shuttered by the closure? And several councillors raised concerns about the future of pensions.

U.S. Steel's tax assessment is based on two things — land value and the function of its buildings. The city has already contacted MPAC to see how those factors are weighed, said finance head Mike Zegarac.

With the Hamilton Works blast furnaces permanently closing by the end of this year, the corporation has a case to apply for an even farther cut, he said. And that's money that has to be made up by other residential and commercial taxpayers in Hamilton.

"We won't see a loss of the full $9.1 million in tax revenues," Zegarac said. But "it is a file that staff are constantly reviewing."

Taxes by the numbers

Total municipal levy (2013): $737,349,736

Total industrial: $43,213,688

Total U.S. Steel: $6 million

Hamilton has lost millions in industrial taxes in recent years. During the industrial heyday of the 1970s, the tax burden was split 60/40 — 60 per cent residential, 40 per cent commercial/industrial.

Today, Friday said, the ratio is 70/30. That means a greater burden on Hamilton homeowners.

Burden lands on home owners

Finance staff will tell councillors more about industrial tax loss at a general issues committee meeting in late November. In the meantime, it wants more answers from MPAC.

The more immediate concern, Friday said, is U.S. Steel's current request. It's dragged on for six years because of U.S. Steel's labour issues, he said.

The city is only an observer in next year's appeal process, which starts in January, Friday said. The hearing will likely happen in the fall.

Coun. Sam Merulla of Ward 4 worries about the impact of Tuesday's announcement on property taxes too.

"Frankly, they're significant revenue for the city," he said. "Any time we're looking at decisions to decrease the amount being paid, we have to pick up the slack somewhere else. It impacts our budget and ultimately impacts our residents."

Industrial assessment can cause 'the verge of bankruptcy'

Andrea Horwath, provincial NDP leader and MPP for Hamilton Centre, says Hamilton is right to be worried about the impact on property taxes.

"There is a huge problem with MPAC and the way it deals with assessments," she said. "I've heard of municipalities on the verge of bankruptcy because of reassessments on the part of industry. If that's something coming on the horizon with U.S. Steel, we'll be very vocal about that."

As for U.S. Steel's decision, Horwatch would like to see another company purchase the steel-making operation.

"It would take significant investment to get those blast furnaces up and running, but I'm of the never say never school," she said.

The province has a role to play in this. She'd like to see Ontario implement job creation tax credits and industrial tax incentives, similar to what Manitoba has done.

Heavy industrial land in demand

Tuesday's announcement was emotional for Hamilton, she said.

"There's no doubt that the permanency of this announcement creates a great deal of concern," she said. "What I would only hope is that there's either another investor that's interested in this plant of that the current owner seize a way to rejuvenate the plant at some point in time."

Mayor Bob Bratina has hope that someone will see opportunity in any land U.S. Steel doesn't need anymore. Land zoned heavy industry is a valuable asset, and not every community has it.

"It's complicated and difficult to create that kind of zoning, but we have it," Bratina said during a live chat with CBC Hamilton Wednesday.

"If you've got heavy industry lands available there, you should be able to do something that will benefit your city."


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hamilton’s STI report card: Chlamydia is up, HIV is down

Hamilton's STI (sexually transmitted infections) report card is in, and there's some good news and some bad news.

First the good news: Hamilton saw its lowest number of new HIV cases in two decades last year at 16.

All but one of those cases were found in men, and 10 of those were men between the ages of 40-59.

"We hope it's because we have better education out there," said Julie Emili, an associate medical officer of health with the city. "Though we've never had tons of HIV cases."

Emili told CBC Hamilton that overall, HIV rates have been dropping provincially for a decade. There were 843 total cases of HIV found in the province in 2012, and 353 in the first quarter of this year.

'Social media is affecting how people meet and casual relationships.'- Julie Emili, associate medical officer of health

But while HIV rates are heading in the right direction, chlamydia rates are on the rise. It's the most common reportable STI in Hamilton, and rates have been going up for the last 15 years. Infections have risen sharply in the last five years especially, Emili says.

There were 1622 reports of chlamydia in Hamilton in 2012, public health statistics show.

"It's by and large our most common STI," Emili said.

There are a few reasons public health points to as to why the rate is spiking. One is the expected: some age groups (largely teens) aren't using condoms as much as they once did. "Teenagers in general don't think one or two steps ahead," Emili said, adding that young people tend to make up a large portion of new chlamydia cases.

But would you have guessed divorcees make up a big chunk of new Chlamydia cases, too? Emili says that once-married people who are getting back into the dating scene are less prone to reach for a condom, leading to higher infection rates.

Then there's the internet. Emili says online connections are "bringing people together" more than ever.

"Social media is affecting how people meet and casual relationships," she said. More casual relationships would bolster infection rates, she argued.

Syphilis is on the rise in Hamilton, too. About 28 cases of syphilis were recorded in 2012, up about 60 per cent over the year before. And the city is on track to exceed last year's total, recording 18 new cases in the first half of 2013.

Gonorrhea, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C rates stayed relatively stable in 2012.


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hamilton filmmaker fights after losing leg in collision as SIU investigates

Stephen Hayes's surroundings are a little different from what he thought they'd be two months ago.

Life was looking up then. He was moving out of his apartment near Locke Street and into a new condo he'd just bought at 41 Catharine. He'd started dating someone new. His Hamilton-based feature film, Lucky 7, had screened at the market at the Berlin Film Festival in Germany a few months earlier.

Then on Sept. 7, with a sudden squeal of tires, everything changed.

Hayes was struck by a vehicle at Hess Street South and Herkimer Street around 10:30 p.m. According to the province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU), a police officer tried to stop a silver Honda. When the Honda didn't stop, the officer chased it.

Lucky 7

The poster for Lucky 7, written and directed by Stephen Hayes.

The first officer lost sight of the vehicle, but a second officer spotted the Honda and followed, the SIU says. While heading southbound on Hess, the Honda rammed into a black Kia sedan heading eastbound on Herkimer. The Kia hit a bus shelter, and Hayes, who was walking nearby.

Hayes won't talk about the details of the crash, citing the SIU investigation. But he can talk about how it's impacted his life.

His leg has been amputated above the knee. He can no longer work at his previous job, or drive. He can't move into the condo now either. Occupational therapists examined it, and it's not accessible.

"It was the worst moment of my life," said Hayes, who also received cracked ribs and a head injury. His leg, he said, was "destroyed."

Fundraiser for Stephen Hayes

What: Screening of his film Lucky 7

When: Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.

Where: The Staircase Theatre, 27 Dundurn N., Hamilton

Cost: By donation, with all proceeds going to Hayes

His life is in limbo now. He's been in hospital since the crash and expects to be there until the end of the year. For the time being, he's in "a bubble."

'Your whole life changes'

With most ailments, "you go in and are operated on and it hurts, but a few weeks later, everything is going to be mended and better," he said. "This isn't going to be.

"Your whole life changes. You're not going to work on Monday morning."

Hayes, 50, is a long-time fixture not only in the Hamilton arts scene, but in Ontario's film and television industry.

He's been a crew member on numerous productions, including The Vow, La Femme Nikita, Mama and Cinderella Man. Locally, he's been a juror for the Hamilton Film Festival and was long-time host of the CFMU radio show Soundtrack, which featured music from film scores and interviews with local composers.

Two years ago, he sunk his energy and resources into making his own feature-length film, Lucky 7. Shot entirely in Hamilton, it's film noire in a contemporary Steeltown setting.

He doesn't think he'll be able to go back to work the way he did before. He'd like to do more writing now. He's tried in the hospital but he can't yet. The pain is too much for him to concentrate.

For the time being, he's kept it to watching films on his laptop computer. They're mostly comedies — "nothing too serious right now," he said.

'Creating community and expressing friendship'

Hayes's fellow film enthusiasts are helping out. During the eighth annual Hamilton Film Festival next month, festival organizers are holding a benefit for Hayes.

They will screen Lucky 7 on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m., and all of the proceeds will go to the award-winning director.

Where he once struggled to make a film, Hayes has a new set of challenges — a wheelchair, a place to live, and if all goes well, a prosthetic leg. But they all cost money.

Hayes is flattered that the Hamilton film community wants to fund raise for him. But he's more excited about bringing the community together into what he hopes will be a unifying event.

"Something not that wonderful happened to me, and it's nice to try to turn that negativity around into some kind of positive," he said. "It's not about raising money. It's about creating community and expressing friendship."

Those who can't attend the benefit but would still like to donate can also do so at hamiltonfilmfestival.com.


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Scott Park high school: How we got to this point

It's been a long road to get to Monday night, when the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board decided to tear down King George and Parkview schools to build a new north high school. Trustees also voted to expropriate and demolish the former Scott Park high school building and build a parking lot, which would cost about $4 million.

On Thursday, CBC Hamilton will host a live chat with board chair Tim Simmons on this decision and others. 

Here's a timeline of how they got here:

2011

The board launches a sweeping accommodation review process that looks at all but three of Hamilton's 17 public high schools. This includes Sir John A. Macdonald, Delta and Parkview in the north end.

May 29, 2012

The board votes to close the three schools and replace them with a new high school in the Pan Am precinct.

May 31, 2012

The board asks the province for money to build the new high school.

January 2013

The province grants the board $31.8 million to build the school. It has to be built by 2016. The board says it is examining several locations to build.

Feb. 11, 2013

Trustees vote to approach the city to build a joint recreation centre and high school complex in the Pan Am precinct. Board and city staff are working together to hammer out an agreement. 

Feb. 27, 2013

City council votes to investigate a partnership with the board for a joint complex. City manager Chris Murray says board and city staff have been working together for "several months" on a possible partnership.

April 29, 2013

The board announces its intention to expropriate 0.6 hectares (1.56 acres) at Scott Park, land it sold for $650,000 nine years earlier. The land used to house a high school, which the board closed in 2001.

July 11, 2013

City staff hand out a proposed letter of agreement between the city and the board that would cost the city $17 million. But councillors, getting the letter at the last minute, hit the brakes. They want more information. "I have some huge concerns," said Coun. Brenda Johnson. "(The agreement) was just handed to me, and it's hurry up, hurry up, let's go." The board urges the city to make a decision as soon as possible.

Sept. 5, 2013

With a new staff report in hand, the city's general issues committee votes in favour of the agreement. But a week later, council overturns it. The city cites questions about money, how much control it will have over the recreation centre and distrust with the school board over past agreements. 

The board, meanwhile, is left with two potential pieces of property — the King George and Parkview land, which it owns, and the Scott Park land, which it must expropriate. Neither are big enough on their own to build a high school.

Oct. 4, 2013

The board is prepared to participate in an expropriation hearing for Scott Park. But staff say the land owner is not contesting the expropriation.

Oct. 21, 2013

After extensive debate, the board's standing committee votes to build the school over two sites. The new 1,250-student, three-storey high school will be on the 3.67-acre lot currently housing King George and Parkview. The parking lot, suitable for 165 vehicles, will be about 200 metres down the road at Scott Park. The anticipated cost of demolishing the Scott Park building and building a parking lot is $4 million. That does not include the cost of expropriation.

Oct. 28, 2013

Board trustees take a final vote on the school location. After much debate, trustees vote 7-4 in favour.

Still to come:

The city must approve the necessary rezoning for the two properties. Also, the city has postponed the building's demolition until a consultant finishes an inventory of the building's heritage aspects.


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

2013 Hamilton Music Awards nominees announced

The 2013 Hamilton Music Award nominees have been announced, highlighting some of the best music southern Ontario has to offer this year.

Blues giant Harrison Kennedy is leading the way with five nominations, including male artist of the year, blues recording of the year and record of the year for Soulscape.

In 1968, Kennedy joined Detroit pop group The Chairmen of the Board and played big shows like Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, Soul Train, American Bandstand and Top of the Pops. He's shared the stage with icons like B.B. King, James Brown, and Stevie Wonder.

He's currently on tour supporting Soulscape, which is a mix of rootsy, authentic acoustic blues and more contemporary electric sounds. Kennedy is also the recipient of the Mohawk College lifetime achievement award.

Right behind Kennedy is rock stalwart Ian Thomas, who is up for four awards including male artist of the year, adult contemporary recording of the year, and songwriter of the year.

Young Hamilton artists are well represented too: folk duo Dawn and Marra are up for two awards including folk/traditional recording of the year, and the guys from Monster Truck are up for record of the year on the back of their newest effort, Furiosity.

Tom Wilson's acid-folk project LeE HARVeY OsMOND garnered two nods for the album The Folk Sinner, and Wilson himself netted two more including songwriter of the year. Burlington's Walk Off the Earth (who you may remember from millions of hits on YouTube) were nominated three times for their album R.E.V.O.

Then there's the Rising Star Search, which showcases up and coming musical talent from around Hamilton. At least half of the members in the acts selected have to be currently enrolled in elementary, secondary or post secondary school to qualify.

This year's Rising Star Search includes: Abby Rose (St. Paul's Catholic Elementary School, Stoney Creek), Jessie Bower (Bishop Ryan Secondary School, Hamilton) and Two Peace Extra Spicy (Sherwood Secondary School, Hamilton) alongside a host of other bands.

The HMA's run at Mohawk College from November 14-17, with festival performances taking place in venues throughout downtown Hamilton. Tickets for all events are on sale now through TicketMaster, Picks and Sticks and Dr. Disc.

Here's the full list of artist nominees announced Thursday:

1. Female Artist of the Year

  • Buckshot Bebee – Merchants of Youth
  • Jessy Lanza – Pull My Hair Back
  • Diana Panton – Christmas Kiss
  • Rosanna Riverso – The Gift of Christmas
  • Ruth Sutherland – A Canadian Christmas

2. Male Artist of the Year

  • Jack de Keyzer – Electric Love
  • Harrison Kennedy – Soulscape
  • Dave Rave – Memphis Midnight
  • JP Riemens & the Fabulous Barflies – No Filter
  • Bud Roach – Sospiro, Alessandro Grandi Complete Arias, 1626 Ian Thomas – Little Dreams

3. New Artist/Group of the Year

  • Allotrope – Inverted
  • Engine Empire – Frisbee Club
  • Jessy Lanza – Pull My Hair Back
  • Gillian Nicola & the Radio Interference – Chasing the Wind
  • Two Piece Extra Spicy – Sophia

4. Jazz Recording of the Year

  • Brad Cheeseman Group – Brad Cheeseman Group
  • George Rose Big Band – Echoes of Legends
  • Jimmy Stahl Big Band – Swingin In The Pews
  • Robin Lee – I Got A Headache
  • Diana Panton - Christmas Kiss

5. Mohawk College Music Industry Lifetime Achievement Award – Lyman Potts

6. Roots Recording of the Year

  • The Caretakers – Love, War + Propaganda
  • Rob Green – Soul Dancing
  • Andy Griffiths – Mind On Other Things
  • Lee Harvey Osmond – The Folk Sinner
  • Whitehorse – The Road to Massey Hall

7. Alternative Rock Recording of the Year

  • Ascot Royals – Don't Let It Stop You Engine Empire – Frisbee Club
  • The Reason – Hollow Tree
  • Saint Alvia – Static Psalms
  • Still Life – Lost In Orbit
  • Walk Off The Earth – R.E.V.O

8. Folk/Traditional Recording of the Year

  • The Acoustics – Erie Long
  • Dawn and Marra – Teaspoons and Tablespoons
  • Poor Angus – Gathering
  • Timid, The Brave – Timid, The Brave
  • Michael Vallely – Circus Songs

9. Rock Recording of the Year

  • Lo-Fi – The Green Album
  • Monster Truck – Furiosity
  • Radio Free Universe – Thirteen Day Hangover
  • Tommy Gunn – Unleash The Hounds
  • Weekend Riot Club – Psychotropia

10. Loud/Metal Recording of the Year

  • Laid To Rest – Laid To Rest
  • John Mamone – Order and Chaos
  • Men To Wolves – Men To Wolves
  • Shattered Remains – Shattered Remains
  • Top Dead Centre – Take Another Breath

11. Punk Recording of the Year

  • Adelleda – Distress
  • Born Wrong – Born Wrong
  • Loaded Dice – Songs In The Key Of Drunk
  • Nothing Helper – Eat It Up
  • TV Freaks – Two

12. Adult Alternative Recording of the Year

  • Buckshot Bebee & the Secret Boyfriends – Merchants of Youth
  • Cowlick – Night Vision
  • Killin Time Band – One Set To Freedom
  • Meme – Meme
  • Marcio Novelli – It's Not An Excuse, It's A Reason
  • Perennials – This Is Tomorrow

13. Blues Recording of the Year

  • Andre Bisson – Bad Scene
  • Jack de Keyzer – Electric Love
  • Sonny Del-Rio – Blow Your Horn Man
  • Jerry Johnson – Barber's Chair
  • Harrison Kennedy – Soulscape
  • The Smoke Wagon Blues Band – Live In Hamilton

14. Classical Recording of the Year

  • Bud Roach – Sospiro, Alessandro Grandi Complete Arias, 1626
  • Sandi Stirling – Before It All Fades Away

15. Mohawk College Music Lifetime Achievement Award – Boris Brott

16. Alt/Country Recording of the Year

  • 1220 Blast – Home
  • The Barn Katz – Roadkill Grill
  • Tia McGraff – Break These Chains
  • Gillian Nicola & the Radio Interference – Chasing the Wind
  • JP Riemens & the Fabulous Barflies – No Filter

17. Rap/Hip Hop Recording of the Year

  • D-Toxx – Tha Hangova
  • The Emsee – Empty Promises
  • The Hi-Cats – High Def
  • P.O.E. – The Poetically Organized Entity Presents "Self Titled"
  • Mitchel Heaton and Dose – Bicstape
  • Lee Reed & John P – Written Large

18. Electronic Recording of the Year

  • Emorie – Never Goes Away
  • Daphnii – Jiaolong
  • Jessy Lanza – Pull My Hair Back
  • LPP – Hello krz04
  • Motem – The Insider Outsider Mixtape

19. Adult Contemporary Recording of the Year

  • Garth Baker – That Could Be Everything
  • Jamie Barnes – Coming Home
  • Paul Federici – Now And Then
  • Ghosts of Memphis – The Devil and the Details
  • Dave Rave –Memphis Midnight
  • Ian Thomas – Little Dreams

20. Religious Recording of the Year

  • Rosanna Riverso – The Gift of Christmas
  • The Jimmy Stahl Big Band – Swingin In The Pews

21. Ethnic/World Recording of the Year

  • Yiannis Kapoulas – Mystic Journey
  • Loril Shannik – The Vagabond Harp
  • Ruth Sutherland – A Canadian Christmas
  • Steel City Rovers – Steel City Rovers
  • John Gora and Gorale – Butterfly

22. Mohawk College Artist Lifetime Achievement Award – Harrison Kennedy

23. Instrumental Recording of the Year

  • Brad Cheeseman Group – Brad Cheesman Group
  • Yiannis Kapoulas – Mystic Journey
  • Loril Shannik – The Vagabond Harp
  • George Rose Big Band – Echoes of Legends

24. Songwriter of the Year

  • Harrison Kennedy
  • Dawn Larsh – Dawn and Marra
  • Ian Thomas
  • Walk Off The Earth
  • Tom Wilson - Lee Harvey Osmond

25. Female Vocalist of the Year

  • Sarah Blackwood – Walk Off The Earth
  • Melissa McClelland – Whitehorse
  • Diana Panton
  • Rosanna Riverso
  • Ruth Sutherland

26. Mohawk College Lifetime Achievement Music Award – Harrison Kennedy

27. Male Vocalist of the Year

  • Jon Harvey
  • Harrison Kennedy
  • Bud Roach
  • Ian Thomas
  • Tom Wilson

28. Record of the Year

  • Harrison Kennedy – Soulscape
  • Jessy Lanza – Pull My Hair Back
  • Lee Harvey Osmond – The Folk Sinner
  • Monster Truck - Furiosity
  • Walk Off the Earth – R.E.V.O.

22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mayor fears tax hit from U.S. Steel changes

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 30 Oktober 2013 | 22.46

Mayor Bob Bratina hopes to meet with U.S. Steel by the end of the week to talk taxes and waterfront property in light of the company's decision to permanently shutter its steel-making operations.

On Tuesday, the CEO of U.S. Steel announced plans to permanently cease iron and steel making at Hamilton Works, which had already been dormant for three years. 

LIVE CHAT:

Have a question for Mayor Bob Bratina on the past and future of the steel industry in Hamilton? Join CBC Hamilton and Mayor Bratina at 1 p.m. Wednesday for a live audio chat.

Join online to participate in the conversation, or send us an email ahead of time at hamilton@cbc.ca or tweet at @CBCHamilton.

Bratina worries this will mean a reduction in property taxes, which would be a heavy hit on the city's budget. He also wants to discuss the company's future plans for the waterfront land.

"I am trying to convene a meeting with senior management of U.S. Steel in Pittsburgh," Bratina told CBC Hamilton.

The steel company's harbour lands land could be valuable in light of the city's attempts to develop its waterfront, Bratina said. "It could be useful and we need to talk."

And the loss of industrial assessment in recent years has cost the city millions. Bratina will meet with staff Wednesday to discuss the issue more.

U.S. Steel stopped its iron and steel making in late 2010. On Tuesday, Mario Longhi said in a conference call that it would halt steel and iron-making by Dec. 31. The announcement impacts 47 non-union workers.

About 600 workers remain at the plant, which does coke making and steel finishing, said Rolf Gerstenberger, head of United Steelworkers 1005. He does worry about the "warning bells" of U.S. Steel's financial difficulties, which could impact about 8,000 pensioners from the Hamilton facility.


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Disabled cyclist died 'a cruel death,' family says

Michael Sullivan's grieving family made a desperate plea Tuesday for anyone with information on how the disabled father of two was murdered to come forward to police.

"This was an evil act. A cruel death," said Sullivan's sister Teresa Mummery at a press conference at Hamilton police headquarters Tuesday afternoon.

Sullivan became the city's 10th homicide of the year when he died at Hamilton General Hospital earlier this month. The incident, and the frightening circumstances of a driver hunting down and deliberately hitting a cyclist in the city, remained secret from the public for almost three months.

Michael Sullivan

Michael Sullivan, 51, was killed by a truck driver who chased him through the streets of the east end back in July, police say. (Courtesy Hamilton Police)

Sullivan had a disability, and worked from home building or fixing things for other people, his sister said

"When he worked at home it was always building something for somebody else," she said. "My brother was in a lot of interactions with a lot of good people. He did computers for underprivileged children, he did bicycles and sent them to countries where they didn't have them. That's how he filled his days."

Investigators from the east end division were originally overseeing the case before the homicide unit took over, and they "made the strategic decision" not to release any information to the public, says Hamilton police Det. Peter Thom.

"The decision early on was to go that route," Thom said. Though police are asking the public to come forward and help with the case, they will not give a specific suspect description or firm reason as to why they did not disclose the murder until last week, even though it happened back in July.

"I don't want to provide any other information that the witnesses we've spoken to so far have issued to us," he said. "I don't want to taint anyone else's information."

Police have recovered the black Ford F150 they believe was used to run Sullivan down in the east end. It is now at the Centre for Forensic Sciences being examined for further evidence, Thom says. The registered owner of the truck had sold the vehicle months before the murder happened.

"We're just in the process of figuring out which hands the truck has passed through since that happened," he said.

Mummery says she believes the police have handled the case in a way that will help catch the perpetrator, and that coming forward earlier "wouldn't have made a difference."

Michael Sullivan's mother

Michael Sullivan's mother Gail was one of the family members present at Tuesday's press conference. (Adam Carter/CBC)

Sullivan was riding on his bike in the area of Barton Street East and Lottridge Street back in July.

"While in the vicinity he had a brief interaction with some individuals and continued about his business," according to a police statement. "This interaction led to some misinformation being passed to the driver of a black, Ford F150 pickup truck." Thom again would not specify what that "misinformation" was at Tuesday's press conference.

Police say the driver of the truck chased Sullivan through city streets and then pursued him into the rear lot of a Barton Street East restaurant supply store. The truck hit Sullivan and he flew off the bike, police say.

The driver of the truck sped off after hitting Sullivan and was last seen travelling eastbound on Barton Street, police say.

Sullivan was a father who was adored by his two children: Nathan, 27 and Tara, 21, Mummery said.

"He was so proud of them," she said. "Their father was a caring human being who loved life and always tried to help people in need.

 "They cannot imagine why someone would hurt their father."


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

U.S. Steel permanently closes Hamilton blast furnace and steelmaking

Close

In the Shadow of Steel 53:59

In the Shadow of Steel 53:59

U.S. Steel will permanently close its idle iron and steel-making operations in Hamilton by the end of the year, but coke production at the plant will continue, officials say.

Mario Longhi, CEO of U.S. Steel Corp., said in a conference call Tuesday that it will close the operations by Dec. 31.

Forty-seven non-union employees will be "affected," according to U.S. Steel spokeswoman Courtney Boone. 

"Notice will be provided to those employees affected, and every effort will be made to reassign them," she told CBC News. "The permanent shutdown affects the iron and steel-making operations, which have been on temporary idle since late 2010."

The blast furnace, steel shop and casters will be permanently shut, she said. "Coke making and finishing at the Hamilton works will continue."

'It means we're not going to make steel in Hamilton. We're just going to roll it.' — Rolf Gerstenberger, United Steelworkers Local 1005

Rolf Gerstenberger, head of United Steelworkers Local 1005, said the announcement represents a loss of hope that the steel-making jobs would return.   

"It means we're not going to make steel in Hamilton," he said. "We're just going to roll it."

He said the announcement will have no effect on the 600 or so unionized workers still employed there. In its heyday in the 1970s, the plant, then known as Stelco's Hilton Works, employed roughly 14,000 people.

Gerstenberger does fear the implications it could have on the company's 8,000 pensioners.

The company said it will take a non-cash charge in its fourth quarter of approximately $225 million related to the decision.

U.S. Steel acquired the integrated steel-making operations when it bought Stelco, one of Canada's largest steel manufacturers, in 2007. 

The U.S. company pledged at the time to invest at least $200 million in its Canadian facilities, to produce an average of 4.3 million tons annually over a three-year span, and to employ an average of 3,105 employees.

'Today's announcement makes it clear that U.S. Steel has no plans to make steel in Canada.'— Andrea Horwath

In 2011, U.S. Steel made a deal with the federal government to keep producing steel in Canada and operate its Lake Erie and Hamilton plants until 2015. It also pledged an additional $50 million in investment to settle with Ottawa, which had taken court action against the company over production cutbacks.

The two sides reached an out-of-court settlement under which U.S. Steel promised to invest another $50 million in steel production. But it leaves Ottawa with no recourse now, said MP Chris Charlton, who represents Hamilton Mountain. Had the case continued until completion, there might have been a fine.

"U.S. Steel is able to do essentially whatever it wants, which it essentially appears to be doing in spades," said Charlton, who called the permanent loss of jobs "devastating news."

"Clearly in both jobs and production of steel, commitments aren't being met."

Hamilton Mayor Bob Bratina said the city is still the "steel-making capital of Canada." With ArcelorMittal Dofasco's operations, 30 per cent of Canada's steel is made in Hamilton.

"We are not at the end of steel making by any means," he said. "I would predict that for at least another generation, steel making will be part of our identity."

But J.P. Marin, a former steelworker at the facility and retired union executive, said it's "a black day for Canada."

"It's another example of a foreign takeover of a Canadian company," he said. "They promise everything and they just shut 'er down."

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, also MPP for Hamilton Centre, called it the end of an era.

"Like many Hamiltonians, I had hoped that the blast furnace would reopen after it was idled in 2010, and I'm extremely disappointed with this decision," she said. "Today's announcement makes it clear that U.S. Steel has no plans to make steel in Canada."

 


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Idle No More protests block King Street downtown

CBC News Posted: Oct 29, 2013 7:03 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 30, 2013 7:25 AM ET

About 40 Idle No More protesters briefly closed lanes on King Street downtown during the afternoon rush hour.

The protesters were demonstrating to show their support of other aboriginal communities that are opposing exploratory drilling for shale gas in New Brunswick.

There was heavy police presence and at least one arrest, although protest organizers said the man arrested was not part of their demonstration.

Aboriginal communities across Canada have been staging protests against the exploratory drilling in New Brunswick. The protests spread outside the province after confrontations with police there earlier this month.


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Fake weed' CEO arrested again in $2-million drug raid

The chief executive of a synthetic marijuana company whose product was being sold in Hamilton is in trouble with the law again after a $2-million drug bust.

Toronto police arrested Adam Wookey, 29, on Monday alongside four others. The CEO of The Izms and Purepillz is now facing a host of drug related charges.

hi-wookey-court-8col

Adam Wookey leaves the John Sopinka courthouse after a court appearance earlier this year. (Cory Ruf/CBC)

On Monday, officers from the Toronto Police drug squad's major cocaine section executed six search warrants in connection with a two-week investigation into an alleged illegal drug distribution network.

Police say officers found $1-million worth of MDMA, $580,000 worth of pot, and $200,000 worth of cocaine in the raids. Smaller amounts of heroin, crystal meth and ketamine were also recovered, along with $90,000 in cash considered "proceeds of crime," police say.

Wookey was arrested in Hamilton back in march over charges stemming from his synthetic marijuana Izms product. Hamilton police charged him after a downtown adult novelty store in the city was robbed for their entire supply of the "synthetic weed" in January.

Synthetic cannabis, also known as synthetic cannabinoids, doesn't contain any real cannabis. It's a blend of herbs sprayed with man-made hallucinogens that mimic the effects of marijuana.

Synthetic marijuana is typically packaged in small pouches with brand names like 'Spice,' 'K-2' or 'IZMS.' The packages often say "not for human consumption" on the label.

Wookey turned himself in and insisted the product isn't illegal. In May, charges in the case were stayed without explanation. The current charges against him aren't connected to Izms, police say.

Wookey appeared in court Tuesday morning and was granted $10,000 bail.


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

22 Minutes takes on the senate expense scandal

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 29 Oktober 2013 | 22.46

Watch "We Will Never Be Tories" by Borde

CBC News Posted: Oct 29, 2013 10:16 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 29, 2013 10:54 AM ET

What's it like to live life like a Tory senator? The team at This Hour has 22 Minutes has an idea. Watch "We Will Never Be Tories" by Borde.

The song is part of the 22 Minutes show tonight on the CBC at 8:30pm EST. 
 


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Watch this gory 80s Hamilton Crime Stoppers PSA

The 80s were a different time, in many ways. Bob Saget was starring in a wholesome family sitcom, Motley Crue was on top of the world — and Crime Stoppers was producing gruesome depictions of stranglings in Hamilton.

Cheeky web-magazine Slate dug up this gem of a YouTube clip from early days of Crime Stoppers — an organization that encourages people to anonymously share information about crimes with local police in exchange for a small reward.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more over the top crime-reenactment video than this.

"This is the city of Hamilton. The entire region of Hamilton-Wentworth has a total population of about 450,000 people. A safe region, by Canadian standards. But, realistically, we do have our share of crime," says narrator Jim Willis, a longtime detective with Hamilton Police, who liaised with the original Crime Stoppers team back in the 80s when Hamilton became the first Ontario city to create such a unit. Crime Stoppers pioneered the use of televised crime reenactments to encourage people to offer tips.

'We just made them as believable as possible.'- Jim Willis, retired Hamilton Police Det Staff Sgt.

He narrates the video, "as ominous music plays and we cut to a scene of a hoodlum savagely garroting a woman to death, then carrying the body into a dark basement," writes Slate writer Justin Peters, tongue planted firmly in cheek. What follows is over 15 minutes of reenactments that feature guns, beatings, and enough fake blood to make a professional wrestler blush.

It also warns of "an active element in our society that would rather rob, rape, steal and kill than lead normal productive lives."

The video says the city has a homicide or attempted homicide every two weeks, and a robbery — often armed — every 1.4 days.

"The quality of the reenactments is not near the quality that they used to be," Willis told CBC Hamilton, when reached by phone in eastern Ontario in between cutting his hedges. "It's just not there anymore."

"I'd just get actors and actresses from the community — some professional, and some not. We just made them as believable as possible."

Willis isn't sure why today's reenactment videos are so tame by comparison. "I guess society would have to answer that," he said.

Current Crime Stoppers board administrator Tricia Hoban was at least a little aghast when she watched the old-school video. "Now when I watch it, I think 'Oh my god, we can't do that," she told CBC Hamilton.

She did, however, exalt the virtues of the internet, and how much it helps the organization today. "It can be a blessing," she said. "We're hitting a wider audience."

The Hamilton version of Crime Stoppers launched in May 1983 and has been tracking results on a monthly and yearly basis ever since.  The Crime Stoppers board approves a cash reward when a tip or tips result in the clearance of a case or an arrest.

The organization attributes 108 criminal arrests to tips in 2013 alone, with 5,157 since 1983.

For anyone wondering — these reenactments are still going strong, some three decades later. Now they feature Det. Const. Greg Slack. Have a look at this one, describing an assault at a McDonalds in Hamilton from a few months ago:


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hamilton crisscrossed by more than a dozen pipelines

Interactive Map:

Click and drag on the map above to see the locations of the major oil and gas pipelines in Hamilton.

More than a dozen major oil and gas pipelines run through Hamilton, several of them more than a half-century old.

Released publicly for the first time, a city-produced map reveals a network of pipelines which crisscross Hamilton's rural areas and course beneath populated neighbourhoods and the city's industrial north end.

But despite the fact staff have identified where the pipelines lie, the city doesn't have comprehensive information on the ages of the lines or the products that each one carries. A new city task force has formed to uncover these answers and to assess pipeline issues that arise across Hamilton. 

"That's part of the information that we're gathering now," said Guy Paparella, the city's director of growth planning, who oversees the task force. 

Paparella's admission comes a day after a CBC News investigation showed that Hamilton has experienced nine safety-related incidents on oil and gas pipelines since 2000 — second in Ontario to Sarnia, which recorded 10 over the same period.

The same investigation revealed that the rate of safety incidents on Canadian oil and gas pipelines doubled between 2000 and 2011, according to National Energy Board documents released under access to information laws. 

The number of pipelines crossing through Hamilton comes as a surprise to Don McLean, a longtime environmentalist who has slammed proposed changes to an Enbridge pipeline that runs through the city's rural northwest.

"There's a whole string of questions that comes to mind when you discover you have pipelines running through your city that potentially could be a problem," said McLean, founder of Hamilton 350, a climate change advocacy group.

"And probably eventually all them will be a problem. Nothing lasts forever."

Despite the lack of a comprehensive record of pipelines running through Hamilton, Fire Chief Rob Simonds says emergency crews "are well positioned to respond" to leaks or fires on oil and gas pipelines. 

He said the fire department is in "regular discussions" with energy companies about emergency preparedness, and said he's confident that the fire department and the oil companies have procedures in place to work together if a disaster were to occur. 

"We have had those discussions and are feeling quite comfortable with that."

More than just Line 9

852-enbridge-protest-banner-hi-8col

Protesters at the Enbridge pumping station in Wesetover

The issue of pipelines has attracted increasing attention in Hamilton amid protests about proposed changes to a large pipeline running through the city. In June, 18 protesters were arrested after staging a six-day occupation at an Enbridge pump station in Westover, a village in Hamilton's rural northwest, to condemn a proposal 

The group was making a statement in opposition to the Edmonton-based energy giant's proposal to reverse the flow of a segment of its 38-year-old Line 9 pipeline that runs from Westover to Montreal.

However, the furor over Line 9 has glossed over the existence several additional pipelines cross through the area. Westover is the terminus for three other Enbridge pipelines, lines 7, 10 and 11, which run to Sarnia, Kiantone, N.Y., and Nanticoke, respectively.

'Based on where Hamilton is located, we have quite a number of pipelines.'—Guy Paparella, director of growth planning for the city of Hamilton

Additionally, several other pipelines run through the Flamborough area, including those belonging to Union Gas, Imperial Oil, TransCanada and Waterdown firm Sun-Canadian.

There are also a number of pipelines radiating from the city's waterfront. Segments of the Imperial Oil and Sun-Canadian pipelines spur off into Hamilton's industrial north end. And the Trans Northern pipeline spans from an Enbridge pipeline near Binbrook down to the lower city and terminates at the end of the Beach Strip.

"Based on where Hamilton is located, we have quite a number of pipelines," Paparella explained. "We're at the confluence of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. And if you want to go east, west, north and south from this area with a pipeline, you have to go through Hamilton."

Pipelines in Hamilton's lower city

A close-up look at a map provided by the city reveals that several oil and gas pipelines run through Hamilton's lower city. (City of Hamilton)

While portions of Hamilton's pipeline infrastructure are less than a decade old, some of the lines were laid before the 1960s. TransCanada's main pipeline, segments of which run through densely populated areas of west Hamilton, dates from the '50s, as does the Sun-Canadian pipeline which transports petroleum products from Sarnia to Toronto and other cities in between.

The city's pipelines task force, formed in the early summer in response to Enbridge's Line 9 proposal, has "turned our mind to" the issue of developing an inventory of oil and gas infrastructure in the city. 

Paparella assembled the unit, which consists of public works planners as well as Simonds, to examine proposals to build new pipelines in Hamilton or to make changes to existing ones.

"That's why we're looking for that information now," he said. "We've got a couple of people sending letters out and looking for that information."

Pipeline watchers like Pembina Institute associate Nathan Lemphers have raised concerns about North America's aging pipeline infrastructure. 

"The pipelines that are in the ground are getting older and in some cases there's more products flowing through them so you're going to see increasing incidents and increasing defects in those pipelines unless they're properly maintained," Lemphers told CBC News. 

Emergency planning

The spectre of the city not knowing what runs through its pipelines worries McLean. He cited the 2007 fire at the Biederman pesticide packaging plant in Dundas as an example of why first responders need to know the contents of the city's oil and gas pipelines.

Firefighters used millions of litres of water to extinguish the blaze. The runoff, which contained poisonous chemicals, drained into Spencer Creek, killing thousands of fish and other wildlife.

In its testimony to the Ministry of the Environment, the company said the environmental catastrophe could have been prevented if firefighters had used fire retardant foam.

interactive-map-spills

CBC has produced an interactive map that looks at pipeline incidents across the country. (CBC)

"The fire department didn't have the information about what they were dealing with," said McLean, who followed the case closely.

In a Monday interview with CBC Hamilton, Simonds expressed confidence in the fire department's ability to respond to large leaks or fires on the city's oil and gas pipelines. 

"I think we're well prepared," said Simonds. "We work very well with our provincial partners at the Ministry of the Environment to address any situation... and have processes in place to find out the product that would be in the pipe at the time of the emergency."

He said the fire department regularly consults with energy companies about how to respond to a crisis if one were to occur, and is currently developing an appendix to the city's emergency response plan that addresses pipelines specifically.

Simonds says the energy companies have been very cooperative in providing the city with information about their pipelines and have shown a "strong investment" in safety.

"When we're having those discussions, never do I sense any ambivalence on their part to that commitment."

Industry officials have defended their safety records, and say they have sophisticated safeguards in place to prevent catastrophic spills and explosions, and to minimize the impact of accidents when they do occur.

Brenda Kenny, president of the Canadian Energy Pipelines Association, which represents major oil and gas companies, says there's an industry-wide commitment to "get to zero incidents."

"We're driving that out very hard through our risk-based management approach at the industry level that involves a lot of best practices, integrity, management, technology and these indicators," she told CBC News.

"The Canadian pipeline industry is one of the very safest in the world, second to none in terms of actual results."


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Flamborough man found dead in field

CBC News Posted: Oct 29, 2013 8:30 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 29, 2013 8:30 AM ET

Police are trying to figure out how a Flamborough man died in a field Monday evening.

Around 5:35 p.m., police and ambulance crews were called to a field in the area of Westover Road and Safari Road in Flamborough. An 81-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The collision reconstruction unit was called in, but police don't yet know if the man died from a medical condition or from being hit by a tractor. He was working alone in his field when he died, police say.

An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday morning.

Anyone with information into the man's death is asked to call police at 905-546-4753.


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Slain cyclist’s family to make plea to public Tuesday

The family of a Hamilton cyclist who was hunted and run down by someone in a pickup truck will be making a plea to the public for information about the killer on Tuesday.

Michael Sullivan

Michael Sullivan, 51, was killed by a truck driver who chased him through the streets of the east end back in July, police say. (Courtesy Hamilton Police)

Michael Sullivan's family will be speaking to reporters at 1 p.m. at central police station.

Sullivan became the city's 10th homicide of the year when he died at Hamilton General Hospital earlier this month. The incident, and the frightening circumstances of a driver chasing down and deliberately hitting a cyclist, remained secret for almost three months.

Sullivan was riding on his bike in the area of Barton Street East and Lottridge Street back in July.

"While in the vicinity he had a brief interaction with some individuals and continued about his business," according to a police statement. "This interaction led to some misinformation being passed to the driver of a black, Ford F150 pickup truck." Thom would not specify what that "misinformation" was.

Police say the driver of the truck chased Sullivan through city streets and then pursued him into the rear lot of a Barton Street East restaurant supply store. The truck hit Sullivan and he flew off the bike, police say.

The driver of the truck sped off after hitting Sullivan and was last seen travelling eastbound on Barton Street, police say.

A black Ford F150 pickup truck was picked up by police last week. Follow CBC Hamilton for updates Tuesday afternoon.


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Paul Wilson: Decision day for priciest parking lot in Hamilton

Written By Unknown on Senin, 28 Oktober 2013 | 22.46

Photo of Paul Wilson

Paul Wilson

With all due respect, the Hamilton board of education's decision last week to expropriate the former Scott Park secondary school, tear it down and build a parking lot is just plain wacky. Illegal too, if that matters.

You've probably seen the numbers. Cost to expropriate – could hit $2 million, and the owner says he's had it assessed at several times that. Cost to demolish and build 165 parking spaces – another $2 million. 

The decision is not yet final. The trustees meet tonight to ratify it.

Trustees have a tough job. Declining enrolments, tight dollars, everyone telling them what to do. I bet their heads are spinning.

sjam

Sir John A. Macdonald secondary was built to boost the downtown, but it closes in a few years. (Paul Wilson/CBC)

I know mine is. Let's see if we can figure out how to give these people a hand. Let's take a drive.

We'll start right downtown, at Sir John A. Macdonald secondary.  An early option was to consolidate lower-city students here.

Close three, get one

But then the province told the board that if it shut down three high schools – Sir John A,. Delta and Parkview – it could have $32 million for a shiny new one, capacity 1,250 students. 

Delta, the city's oldest high school, is not so far away from the middle of the lower city. We've just driven there and can see it's still majestic.  Capacity, 1,400 students and it's only half full.

Google Maps says that if you were a student standing in front of Sir John A. and wanted to take a bus to Delta secondary, the HSR would get you there in 28 minutes.

delta

Delta Secondary, on Main Street East, is the city's oldest high school. It's a beauty, but slated to close. (Paul Wilson/CBC)

But if you wanted to go from Sir John A. to where the board plans to build your new high school, in the shadow of the city's big new stadium, your ride would be 31 minutes. 

What a shame then that those millions from the province can't be used instead to revitalize Delta and make it the lower city's central high school.

And now we stand before that Brutalist wonder without windows, Scott Park. The board closed the school and sold it for $650,000 nine years ago. The board wants to get it back – at a hefty premium – and tear it down for that parking lot. 

It's not legal

Scott Park is hard on the eyes. But a parking lot is worse, especially right there on King East, one of this city's main arteries. And one other thing – it's illegal. Zoning for that area does not permit a parking lot as a standalone use.

And here's our last stop, the front lawn of Parkview secondary. The park it views, right across the street, is Tim Hortons Field, new home of the Cats. Steel beams fill the sky.

Parkview is a vocational school, many of its 250 students with special needs. The board's plan is to knock it down, along with the just-closed 100-year-old King George elementary that sits right behind it.

parkview

Michael Root, teacher/librarian at Parkview, hopes trustees will go back to the plan of putting up a school on the Scott Park site. The parking lot could be at Parkview. (Paul Wilson/CBC)

According to last week's first-round voting, the new high school will be built here, and its teachers will hike over from a new multimillion-dollar parking lot on King East.

While we're standing there contemplating all this, out walks Michael Root, a teacher/librarian at Parkview. It turns out he wrote a heartfelt letter to the trustees last week. He's worried about what interim moves to other schools would do to Parkview kids. 

He's fine with the board expropriating Scott Park, but not for a parking lot. He thinks the new high school should go there. When it's done, tear down Parkview, and let that be the parking lot.

Five-storey school 

The board had originally planned to rebuild on the old Scott Park grounds, but changed its mind when the city wouldn't partner up on the site with a new community centre.

A few trustees are thinking along the same lines as Root, but the idea hasn't been formally debated. They see a five-storey school on the King East site. 

Root likes that, believing it's "an architectural opportunity to showcase the importance of secondary-level learning in the stadium precinct." 

george

King George elementary opened a century ago. Some board staff are working there temporarily, but when they go off to the Mountain, this would be a great site for lofts. (Paul Wilson/CBC)

The city would need to help make this happen. All that surrounding green space should be open to the students of the new Scott Park secondary. They should have access to the community's new $145-million football and soccer stadium next door.

And why couldn't King George school, its century-old architecture intact, survive all this? Board staff are using it now, but will be leaving for new headquarters on the Mountain. Then the board sells this stone-and-brick treasure to a developer for the Stadium Lofts. 

Our drive is over. Now it's up to the trustees. A week ago they voted to build the priciest parking lot in town. We hope tonight they know there is no shame in changing your mind.

Paul.Wilson@cbc.ca  |  @PaulWilsonCBC


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Drunk driving charges laid after morning crash, fire

Close

Raw video: Morning car fire 0:55

Raw video: Morning car fire 0:55

A car burst into flames in Hamilton's north end after crashing into multiple parked vehicles, an incident police say resulted from a case of drunk driving. 

Around 6 a.m. on Sunday, a car drove into multiple parked cars on Ferguson Avenue North at Wood Street, police say.

The final collision woke area resident Simon Kiela.

"I heard a big crash, basically, and then I woke up," he told CBC Hamilton. "There was a guy screaming something about wanting a fire extinguisher. It looked like he was trying to get somebody out of the car."

'I thought the thing was going to blow up because the fire was huge.'- Simon Kiela, witness

He took a video of the fire on his cell phone, but then went back in the house. 

"I went inside because I thought the thing was going to blow up because the fire was huge."

Firefighters arrived quickly, he said, and within minutes put out the flames that were spilling from the car, a white Toyota Camry. 

Emergency crews transported two people to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, said Michael Spencer, a staff sergeant with the Hamilton Police Service.

He said the police believe the injured individuals were passengers in the car that caused the collision.

Police arrested the driver, who now faces drunk driving charges. 

Police have not provided any description of the accused. 


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Corvette hits pole in Dundas, leading to power outage

Power has been restored for most of the residents of Dundas who were without power after a car crashed into a pole on Sunday morning.

At 3:45 p.m, Horizon Utilities said around 30 customers — in an area bounded by King St. East/Cootes Drive to the south, Olympic Drive to the east and York Road to the west and north — were still without power, down from 700 earlier in the day. 

The company said it expects normal service to resume by 5:30 p.m.

The outage occurred after a car ran into a pole on York Road near Spencer Avenue just before 11:15 a.m.

"A black 1974 Corvette was travelling north on York Road when it lost control and struck a hydro pole," said Carol Pacey, a staff sergeant with the Hamilton police. 

The impact sheared the pole in two, she said. 

It took firefighters about an hour to extract the driver, a man in his 40s, from the wreckage of the car.

Paramedics took him to Hamilton General Hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

He will face a careless driving charge, Pacey said. 


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hudak questions why NDP willing to 'prop up' Liberals

Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak wants to know why the New Democrats are continuing to "prop up" the governing Liberals at a time when he believes there should be change at Queen's Park.

Hudak penned an open letter to NDP Leader Andrea Horwath on Sunday, saying he is "astounded" that the third-party has allowed the minority government to survive by helping it pass budgets over the past two years.

The Progressive Conservatives have voted against each of the minority Liberals' budgets, while the New Democrats have won concessions from the government in consecutive years during the budget process.

Citing a series of high-profile scandals that have tarred the Liberals, Hudak asks the NDP leader what more must occur "to convince you that this government is concerned only with their short-term political interests, not the long-term interests of Ontario families?"

The PC leader then goes on to suggest that the New Democrats are "more in sync" with the priorities of government than with those of Ontario families, though he also says Horwath can help put the province on a different course.

"You can help us put Ontario on the right track... or you can keep Ontario on the wrong track by making your priorities the priorities of the Liberal Party," Hudak says in the letter.

The letter ends with a request for Horwath to sit down with Hudak in the near future.

Hudak's letter came just a day after Horwath told reporters that the New Democrats are unlikely to attempt to trigger an election this fall.

Horwath said that if an election comes, it will be because Premier Kathleen Wynne chooses to call one.

Ontario's governing Liberals have held a minority position in the legislature since the provincial election two years ago.

And due to a series of Liberal MPP departures and corresponding byelections, the government now holds just 49 of the 107 seats at Queen's Park. The PCs have 37 seats and the New Democrats have 20. One seat remains vacant.


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hamilton second in Ontario in pipeline safety incidents

Hamilton experienced nine safety incidents on its major oil and gas pipelines in just over a decade, second in Ontario only to the 10 recorded in Sarnia.

The Hamilton cases are part of a nationwide swell in the number of safety-related incidents on pipelines regulated by the federal government, a CBC News investigation shows.

National Energy Board documents obtained by CBC News under access to information laws reveal that across Canada, the rate of safety incidents on pipelines has doubled since 2000.

interactive-map-spills

CBC has produced an interactive map that looks at pipeline incidents across the country. (CBC)

Interactive pipeline map: Have there been incidents near you?

By 2011, safety-related incidents — covering everything from unintentional fires to spills into creeks — rose from one to two for every 1,000 kilometres of federally regulated pipeline. That reflects an increase from 45 total incidents in 2000 to 142 in 2011.

The information is contained in an NEB database with detailed information about 1,047 pipeline safety incidents from Jan. 1, 2000 until late 2012.

In recent months, a spate of oil and gas spills both from train derailments and pipelines have raised questions about which mode of transport is the safest.

'You're going to get corrosion. You're going to get incidents. You're going to get failures. Thank God they're small, but it only takes one catastrophic one to change the environment completely.'- Guy Paparella, director of growth planning for the city of Hamilton

The pipeline industry has touted its safety record as it seeks support for numerous controversial projects across the continent, including TransCanada's Keystone XL to the U.S. Gulf Coast and Enbridge's Northern Gateway to the B.C. coast, and closer to home, the Line 9 flow reversal.

In internal documents, the NEB has expressed concerns about the rising rate of incidents.

Hamilton incidents 

 Safety-related incidents on Hamilton oil and gas pipelines (see bottom of page for a more detailed summary):

  • September-October 2001 — 95,000 litres of crude oil from Enbridge pipeline leaks in Binbrook
  • October 2001 — Small fire during cleanup of Binbrook spill
  • December 2005 — Gas leak at Ancaster TransCanada station lasts for 45 minutes
  • May 2007 — Machinery explosion at Ancaster TransCanada station
  • November 2007 — Tractor fire on Enbridge pipeline right-of-way
  • April 2009 — Broken pipe discovered on filter at TransCanada station
  • April 2010 — 100,000 litres of natural gas leaks from TransCanada station in Ancaster
  • May 2011 — Small fire at TransCanada's Hamilton Gate Sales Meter Station
  • February 2012 — Backhoe strikes, dents TransCanada pipeline

(Source: National Energy Board)

Most of the Hamilton cases were minor, but two resulted in significant discharges of oil or gas.

In 2001, Enbridge's Line 10 pipeline leaked 95,000 litres of crude oil onto a farmer's field in Binbrook. And in 2010, a faulty valve on a TransCanada pipeline in Ancaster caused 100 cubic metres (or 100,000 litres) of natural gas to escape into the atmosphere.

Lynda Lukasik, executive director of Environment Hamilton, a non-profit advocacy group, said she's alarmed that Hamilton nearly topped the list of safety incidents on pipelines in Ontario.

"We don't have refineries, we don't have that concentrated a level of [oil industry] activities," she told CBC Hamilton. "So the fact that we have that many incidents here makes me feel a bit concerned."

However, Guy Paparella, the city's director of growth planning, who also oversees a newly minted city hall task force that examines pipeline proposals, said the figures don't come as a shock given the number of pipelines that run through the area.  

"Based on where Hamilton is located, we have quite a number of pipelines," he said. "We're at the confluence of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. And if you want to go east, west, north and south from this area with a pipeline, you have to go through Hamilton."

He said the age of Hamilton's large oil and gas pipelines may also explain the number of incidents the city has experienced.

"You're looking that stuff that's decades old — 37, 38 years old, in some cases. You're going to get corrosion. You're going to get incidents. You're going to get failures. Thank God they're small, but it only takes one catastrophic one to change the environment completely."

The line-9 Enbridge pipeline is 38-years-old.

'Industry-wide commitment'

Pipeline watchers like Pembina Institute associate Nathan Lemphers suggest the rise may be a worrisome sign of aging infrastructure.

"The pipelines that are in the ground are getting older and in some cases there's more products flowing through them so you're going to see increasing incidents and increasing defects in those pipelines unless they're properly maintained," Lemphers said.

'The Canadian pipeline industry is one of the very safest in the world, second to none in terms of actual results.'- Brenda Kenny, president of the Canadian Energy Pipelines Association

Industry officials defend their safety records, and say they have sophisticated safeguards in place to prevent catastrophic spills and explosions, and to minimize the impact of accidents when they do occur.

Brenda Kenny, president of the Canadian Energy Pipelines Association, which represents major oil and gas companies, says there's an industry-wide commitment to "get to zero incidents."

"We're driving that out very hard through our risk-based management approach at the industry level that involves a lot of best practices, integrity, management, technology and these indicators," she told CBC News.

"The Canadian pipeline industry is one of the very safest in the world, second to none in terms of actual results."

Line 9 controversy

The documents come to light amid contentious public debate over a new proposal put forward by energy giant Enbridge Inc. to make changes to its Line 9 pipeline, which runs through the Hamilton area.

Enbridge Pipeline Hearings 20131019

Protesters demonstrating against Enbridge's application to reverse it's Line 9 pipeline demonstrate outside Toronto's Metro Convention Centre on Saturday, October 19, 2013. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

The Edmonton-based energy giant has applied to the NEB to reverse the flow on a segment of the pipeline that runs between North Westover, a village near Hamilton's northwestern fringe, to Montreal, and also increase the amount of oil running through the pipeline to 300,000 barrels per day, up from 240,000.

The larger volume, Lukasik said, as well as the increasing number of pipeline incidents across Canada, bodes badly for the safety of the local environment.

"I don't like the sounds of it," she said of the number of incidents Hamilton has seen since 2000, "even if they aren't major."

"Add to that this desire for companies like Enbridge to run [diluted oil sands bitumen] through the lines, that just increases the level of concern even more of what we might be dealing with."

Leaks, spills triple

The NEB oversees any pipeline that crosses provincial or international borders, which includes nearly 90 companies that own about 71,000 kilometres of pipelines. The data does not include smaller pipelines monitored by provinces.

The federal regulator attributes the rise in incidents to a heightened awareness among companies about what they need to report.

"We've been out there talking with industry associations and the companies themselves to ensure that they are fully aware of what the reporting requirements are and I think that's why we're seeing an increase right now," said NEB's business leader for operations, Patrick Smythe.

Each company overseen by the NEB must report safety issues including the death or serious injury of a worker, fires, explosions, liquid product spills over 1,500 litres and every gas leak.

Among the other findings based on NEB's pipeline database is that there's been a three-fold increase in the rate of spills and leaks — ranging from small amounts to large — in the past decade.

More than four reportable releases happened for every 10,000 kilometres in 2000, or 18 incidents in total, according to NEB data. By 2011, that rate had risen to 13 per 10,000 kilometres, or 94 incidents.

Those numbers include any oil or natural gas releases companies are required to report due to laws.

NEB's Smythe says that the regulator has not seen an alarming increase in the "significant, serious or major incidents over the last little while."

NEB Concerns

Recent documents published by the NEB shows the board has expressed some concern over rising numbers.

"Notwithstanding the safety record of NEB-regulated pipelines, the board has noticed an increased trend in the number and severity of incidents being reported by NEB-regulated companies in recent years," one 2012 report states.

A 2011 document citing the same concern also notes the need for NEB to "enhance data collection" in order to tackle that problem and other troubling trends in the industry.

It goes on to say that a reduction in the numbers ultimately "depends on actions taken by the industry."

Carl Weimer, executive director of U.S. advocacy group Pipeline Safety Trust, says small leaks may not individually be significant on their own, but taken together they provide a better picture when looking at safety trends.

"It shows how really carefully they are taking care of the pipelines," said Weimer.

Safety-related pipeline incidents in Hamilton from 2000-2012 

  • September-October 2001 — 95,000 litres of crude oil spills into a farmer's field after a leak on Enbridge's Line 10 pipeline.
  • October 2001 — During the cleanup from the Binbrook leak, the blade of a bulldozer strikes a rock, creating a spark that goes onto ignite some of the spilled oil. The flames were put out with a fire extinguisher.
  • December 2005 — A faulty valve at an Ancaster station on a TransCanada pipeline causes natural gas to leak into the air for 45 minutes.
  • May 2007 — While crews were doing repairs on TransCanada's Ancaster Compressor Station, a pressure regulator blew up. The shrapnel damaged other equipment, but no one was injured and no gas was released.
  • November 2007 — A small tractor, operated by a driver contracted by Enbridge, catches fire while working on a tract of land that three of the company's pipeline's cross. The flames scorch 300 square feet of land. No one is injured and no oil is released.
  • April 2009 — Workers discover a broken steel pipe on a filter on a TransCanada natural gas pipeline.
  • April 2010 — A faulty valve on a TransCanada's Ancaster Compressor Station causes 100,000 litres of natural gas to escape into the atmosphere.
  • May 2011 —A small fire emanates from a pipe at TransCanada's Hamilton Gate Sales Meter Station. It was quickly extinguished, and no one was injured.
  • February 2012 — A backhoe accidentally strikes a TransCanada pipeline running through Hamilton, causing a dent about 15 cm long, 14 cm wide and 6 cm deep. No gas escaped, and the pipe was reinforced. 

(Source: National Energy Board)


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ontario NDP unlikely to trigger fall election, Andrea Horwath says

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 27 Oktober 2013 | 22.46

The Ontario NDP, which kept Premier Kathleen Wynne's minority Liberal government afloat on a budget vote last spring, almost certainly won't try to trigger an election this fall, party leader Andrea Horwath says — though that doesn't mean there won't be one.

"You can never prejudge what can happen in a minority parliament," Horwath told reporters at a noon press scrum Saturday. "We know for sure that there's nothing over this fall session that will likely trigger an election unless Ms. Wynne decides to trigger an election herself."

Horwath said her party is nevertheless making sure it's at the ready to fight a campaign, if one is in the offing.

The New Democratic leader spoke to the media in between sessions at her party's provincial council meeting in downtown Toronto.

She said that when the next election comes, the NDP's selling point will be that it's shown that it doesn't just hear out Ontarians' concerns and problems, but tries to solve them.

"Whether that's improvements in child care, whether that's small community and rural hospitals getting some assistance, whether that's stopping corporate tax reductions to try to make our budget work and provide services for folks, whether that's auto insurance rate reductions — I mean, let's face it, we've shown, I think, over the last couple of years that New Democrats know how to listen to people and how to actually get things done on their behalf," Horwath said.

The provincial Liberals, six months after Kathleen Wynne was elected leader following former premier Dalton McGuinty's resignation last fall, were facing the possibility of going down to defeat over their spring budget.

Horwath extracted budget concessions — including a youth jobs program, the promised cut in auto-insurance premiums and an increase in welfare rates — in exchange for the NDP's support, and the vote passed by a margin of 64 to 36.

Premier Wynne hinted this week that a fall election is not her preference but that the next budget could prove a crucial testing ground for her government, which holds 49 of the legislature's 107 seats.

"I have said that I will continue to work in minority parliament and make it work to the best of my ability. We'll see what happens around the spring budget," she told CBC News in an interview.

Just last month, Wynne had warned the opposition parties that if they held up the passage of new legislation, she would be willing to go to the polls promptly. That spurred Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak to say he thought the Liberals were deliberately trying to engineer some kind of crisis that would see them drop the writ.

Horwath also addressed a months-old controversy within her party over the way the NDP candidate was chosen for the Aug. 1 byelection in the Toronto riding of Scarborough-Guildwood.  

Some New Democratic faithful — including party stalwart Joy Taylor, who had been with the NDP and its predecessor for nearly seven decades — alleged that people who weren't properly registered party members showed up for the nomination meeting and voted to give the nod to former Toronto city councillor Adam Giambrone.  

Taylor eventually quit the party over the process.

Horwath said Saturday that she "would only hope" that NDP members disaffected by the nomination contest will one day return to the fold.

"The work that they do is respected. We don't always agree on everything, but that's why we have these open party delegate debates and we allow people to have at the issues."


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Five Hamilton young professionals to watch

There's a lot of talk about Hamilton building its profile as a hub of culture, innovation and creativity.

It's the young professionals who are truly making waves in this city, bringing passion and expertise to drive the momentum. They work in a variety of sectors from politics to culture to business, but all dedicated to the improving the city.

Those young professionals are congregating downtown Saturday for HIVE X, an annual day-long conference for young leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs.

Here's five names to watch for now and in the future.

Matthew Green, 33

Born and raised on Hamilton, Green is an entrepreneur expanding his community role to politics.

At 25, the athlete and football enthusiast opened Integrated Active Living, a gym and training centre, with a friend. In 2007, he took on the business himself, renamed it Freestyle Fit and has been helping Hamiltonians reach their fitness goals ever since.

But his true passion is community. He's involved with the Hamilton Community Foundation, an after-school program called Empowerment Squared, Mount Olive Lodge (a fraternity established by Black Canadian masons), the Sherman Hub neighbourhood group and hosts GoTV, a municipal affairs program on Cable 14.

Why watch Matthew?

He plans to run in next year's municipal election for Ward 3 councillor, the same ward he was raised, in lives in now and operates his business in.

"My platform is ready to go, 33 years in the making," he said. "The approach I'll take with politics is different and innovative."

Stephanie McLarty, 33

Three years ago, McLarty open REfficient, an online marketplace for businesses to buy underused or new tech and communications equipment from other business' inventory — a solution to keep perfectly good equipment out of landfills. She was inspired by a job she took with a major telecom company to pay the bills where she saw tonnes of equipment getting tossed.

Since then, REffcient has expanded to serve 12 countries, including Canada.

McLarty was the runner up in the 2012 Lion's Lair competition, on McMaster University's alumni board and is the Canadian technical expert for reuse for the International Electrotechnical Commission.

Why pay attention to Stephanie?

REffcient keeps expanding. In the new year, the company will be in a new office at James North and Burlington streets. It's becoming a "sustainable procurement solution" for telecoms equipment of all kinds for more than corporations — local small businesses, school boards and hotels internationally are looking to her for new and underused equipment.

Mark Stewart, 29

Just shy of 30, Mark Stewart is the director of commercial activity for the Art Gallery of Hamilton. He's a two-time graduate from McMaster University, and holds an MBA.

His job, by nature, is entrepreneurial, he said. He's responsible for finding new revenue tools for the art gallery. His most recent success – the Design Annex retail store and event space on James Street North. Stewart also manages the CliC young professional group, run by the art gallery. Aside from his day job, he's also the co-founder of FlyPrint, a one-stop marketing, strategy and printing solution for small business.

After a few years as investment banker in Toronto, he returned back to the downtown-east neighbourhood in Hamilton he grew up, where he wanted to give back to the community.

Why watch Mark?

He's the president of McMaster's alumni board of directors and his passionate about keeping local talent in the city. He offers internships at FlyPrint for MBA students so they don't need to leave the city.

"Students should not just be learning from a lecture. They should be incorporating experiential learning into what they do," he said. "We as young professionals can play a big role in that because we're not too much older than the students so we can be role models and can open doors ad opportunities and direct them to how to be engaged and involved in the city."

Tammy Hwang, 32

Tammy Hwang jokes she's as "Hamilton as it gets," having grown up down the street from the very first Tim Hortons restaurant.

She's the senior manager of entrepreneur experience at Innovation Factory, the regional innovation centre, and is dedicated to improving the city she calls home.

Hwang is a McMaster graduate and has four years experience working in south China, bridging gaps and building partnerships between eastern and western businesses. She was recently hand-picked to be a mentor at the Global Entrepreneur Summit in Malaysia – she was one of 30 selected international and the only mentor representing Canada.

Aside from iF, she's co-founding Strive, an organization to connect non-profits with young professionals.

Why watch Tammy?

She's passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship and young professionals above all else.

"I'm committed to seeing Hamilton become the next hub of innovation and working towards that end goal," she said. "All paths work towards that."

Joe Accardi, 28

Joe Accardi is a transplant from Thornhill, north of Toronto, who moved to Hamilton in search of business opportunities. That was in 2009. He now owns three businesses.

Red Brick Rentals manages 30 properties in the downtown area, focusing on fixing up homes and mixed-used spaces in transitional neighbourhoods. The Green Smoothie Bar is a popular spot for a healthy beverage on James Street North. Platform 302 is a creative incubator and workspace for small businesses and start-ups.

In his spare time, he's on the board of directors for Food4Kids, a local program that helps feed Hamilton kids.

Why Joe?

He has a passion for making Hamilton a better place.

"I love what I do.... I rather do nothing else," he said. "I have so much certainty that this city is going to blow people's mind."


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

OPP catch wanted federal offender in Hamilton

The Canadian Press Posted: Oct 26, 2013 12:28 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 26, 2013 12:28 PM ET

Ontario Provincial Police have caught an offender who was sought on a Canada-wide arrest warrant for breaching his parole.

Joshua Buckle, 37, was taken into custody Friday night in Hamilton after police announced their search for him earlier in the day.

Police say Buckle is serving a five-year and three-month federal prison sentence for robbery, theft and assault with intent to resist arrest.


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ticats eke out win over Als in rollercoaster rematch

Hamilton receiver Brandon Banks scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including a 107-yard return of a missed field goal as the Tiger-Cats came from behind to defeat the Montreal Alouettes 27-24 in front of 13,012 at the University of Guelph's Alumni Stadium on Saturday.

The Ticats were down by as much as 16-0 in the second quarter before clawing their way back.

Hamilton (9-8) has wrapped up second spot in the CFL's East Division and will host the semifinal, against Montreal, on Nov. 10. Montreal falls to 7-10.

S.J. Green, Geoff Tisdale and Duron Carter scored touchdowns for the Alouettes. C.J. Gable also scored for Hamilton.

Hamilton kicker Luca Congi hit field goals from 22 and 25 yards. Montreal kicker Sean Whyte missed his two field-goal attempts, from 42 and 41 yards.

QB Burris passes milestone

With his first completion of the game, Burris moved into fourth spot for CFL all-time career pass completions, ahead of Danny McManus (3,640). But that was the only bright spot in his numbers for the day, with zero touchdown passes and one interception that was returned 64-yards by Tisdale for the score. Rookie back-up Jeremiah Masoli threw one TD pass for Hamilton.

How will the Ticats fare in the post-season?

Montreal's rookie QB Troy Smith, making his second start of the season, threw two TD passes and two interceptions.

The Ticats were down 23-10 early in the fourth and the Alouettes were driving when Hamilton linebacker Simoni Lawrence intercepted Smith at the Montreal 51 and ran it to the 45. On the next play, Banks took the hand-off and turned upfield for a 45-yard TD run and the Ticats found themselves down just 23-17 with almost 12 minutes left in the game.

A 25-yard field goal by Congi with 8:08 left made it 23-20.

When Whyte missed his 42-yard field goal attempt short due to a high snap, the ball was caught by Banks and run up the left sideline 107 yards for the TD and the 27-23 Hamilton lead — their first of the game.

Whyte missed a second field-goal attempt, this one from 41 yards, for a single and the lead was cut to 27-24 with a little more than two minutes left.

The Alouettes got the ball back on its own 17 with 18 seconds left in the game but got nowhere.

Smith and Montreal struck first, midway through the first when he hit Green for a 55-yard gain to set up the Als at the Hamilton 14-yard line. Two plays later, Smith again hit Green, who turned and stretched his arms out for the TD and a 7-0 lead.

A couple series later, after it looked like the Ticats were moving the ball, a Burris throw landed in the hands of Montreal's Tisdale after intended receiver Brandon Banks missed a route. Tisdale returned it 64 yards for the score and a 14-0 lead.

Turnovers costly for Als

It could have been worse, if not for two Alouettes turnovers deep in Ticat territory. It looked like they were going to open up a huge lead when they opened the second quarter with a 51-yard drive that ate up 5:27 on the clock and had the ball at the Hamilton 25. But it came to a halt when Duron Carter batted the ball up in the air and it was intercepted by Hamilton defensive back Rico Murray at the Hamilton 15.

Still, that play failed to change the momentum as the Ticats went two-and-out and the snap went over punter Josh Bartel's head and into the end zone, forcing him to kick it out and concede the safety.

Montreal threatened again, moving the ball to the Hamilton 21 before Bo Bowling fumbled the ball at the 11 and Hamilton's Brandon Isaac recovered.

The Ticats finally got on the board with 1:05 left in the half when a 71-yard drive stalled and ended with a 22-yard field goal. It was the sixth straight quarter, going back to last week's Montreal win, in which the Als had kept Hamilton out of the end zone.

That changed with the Ticats' first possession of the third. Hamilton drove 72 yards in seven plays using the quarterback tandem of Burris and Masoli. It was Masoli who lofted the ball to Gable for the 12-yard TD midway through the quarter as the Ticats pulled to 16-10.

Smith and the Als answered immediately with a 79-yard drive culminating with a 63-yard catch-and-run TD from Smith to Carter and a 23-10 lead.


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Two injured, one charged after vehicle crashes into parked cars

CBC News Posted: Oct 27, 2013 9:56 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 27, 2013 9:56 AM ET

An early morning crash in Hamilton's north end sent two people to hospital and has one person facing impaired driving charges.

Around 6 a.m. on Sunday, a vehicle drove into multiple parked cars near the intersection of Ferguson Avenue North and Wood Street.

Emergency crews transported two people to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, said Michael Spencer, a staff sergeant with the Hamilton Police Service.

He said the police believe the injured individuals were passengers in the car that caused the collision.

Police arrested the driver.

At 9:30 a.m., Spencer said he wasn't certain of the exact charges the accused is facing.

Police have not provided any description of the driver. 

More to come


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Leblanc nets two in Bulldogs' OT win over Rochester

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 26 Oktober 2013 | 22.46

Louis Leblanc scored two goals, including the overtime winner, as the Hamilton Bulldogs defeated the Rochester Americans 4-3 in American Hockey League action on Friday.

Nick Tarnasky and Magnus Nygren also had goals for the Bulldogs (3-1-2), and Robert Mayer made 27 saves in the win.

Luke Adam, Frederick Roy and Brayden McNabb scored for the Americans (3-2-1), while Nathan Lieuwen stopped 28 shots.

Leblanc brought a back-and-forth game to a close at 1:26 in OT, when Drew Schiestel found him with a short pass along the red-line and Leblanc elevated a backhand effort past Lieuwen.

The Hamilton forward now has five points in his past two games.

Gabriel Dumont nearly opened the scoring for the Bulldogs three minutes into the first period, when a loose puck deflected to him, unguarded, in the low slot. But his quick wrist shot eluded Lieuwen only to ring off the near post.

Tarnasky was luckier at 11:22 of the period, when he scored the game's first goal late on a Bulldog power play.

Erik Nystrom brought the puck into the zone and weaved past a defender, only to see the puck drift off of his stick and to Tarnasky, who was planted in front of Lieuwen's net. The winger did the rest, quickly sweeping the puck off the far post and past the Rochester goaltender.

The goalscorer produced another moment worthy of the highlight reel as Hamilton took to the power play again in the final five minutes of the period. Tarnasky carried the puck through the middle of the ice and beat split two defenders, before his backhanded effort was saved by Lieuwen.

Hamilton doubled its lead at 2:10 of the second period, capitalizing on another Rochester penalty after Alexander Sulzer was whistled for tripping.

Leblanc received a pass from Duffy behind the red-line, and curled all the way out to the top of the left circle before releasing a low wrist shot that beat Lieuwen through a screen.

The Americans cut their deficit in half on a man advantage of their own, after Leblanc was penalized for holding at 6:42 of the second period.

Rochester's power-play unit moved the puck around the top of the zone with a series of short passes, before Sulzer found Adam in the low slot with a cross-ice pass. The speed of the play left Mayer stranded out of position, and Adam had an empty net to tap the puck into at 7:14.

The Bulldogs restored their two-goal advantage at 8:17 of the period, scoring their third power-play goal of the night when Nygren allowed traffic to form in front of Lieuwen and took a heavy slapshot that beat him high to the glove side.

The Americans struck back just over two minutes later, when Colton Gillies' shot from the blue-line bounced off the end boards to Roy, and the forward quickly slid a wrap-around past Mayer at 10:52 of the second.

The comeback was completed with five seconds to play in the period, as McNabb gathered the puck after an initial effort was blocked, and beat Mayer through the five-hole with his second wrist shot.

Hamilton went 3-7 on the power play Friday, after going 0-19 to begin the season.


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police search for 'dangerous' suspect in Hamilton stabbing

Phone 911 if you see 34-year-old Jonathan Beaver, police say

CBC News Posted: Oct 25, 2013 4:37 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 25, 2013 4:37 PM ET

Hamilton police have issued a warrant for a suspect in an attempted murder and urge members of the public to call 911 if they spot him on the street.

Jonathan Shane Beaver, 34, is wanted in connection to a brutal stabbing on Thursday evening.

Beaver, police said in a Friday news release, is "considered dangerous" and should not be approached. 

At around 8:45 p.m., police say, three males beat and stabbed a 35-year-old Hamilton man in the parking lot of Centre Mall. 

The suspects fled the scene before officers arrived. According to witnesses, two of the men drove away in a white Acura sedan, while one fled on foot.

Emergency crews rushed the victim to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

No other victims have been identified, but police believe the victim was targeted and that he knew his attackers. 

The Hamilton Police Service's homicide unit is asking anyone with information on Beaver's whereabouts to contact Det. Const. Jason Cattle at 905-546-4123 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. 


22.46 | 0 komentar | Read More
techieblogger.com Techie Blogger Techie Blogger