LARRY'S CORNER- Hamilton's Former Mayor Speaks

Sundry Summer Thoughts, 2009

By Larry Di Ianni
(posted July 23, 2009)

Today was golfing day.  Our foursome planned to visit the Martin Course at Chedoke’s and tee off and get teed off, as the occasion demanded.  I am not a good golfer at all; and prior to my leaving politics I could always blame my ‘busy schedule’ for not getting out on the links enough to improve my game.  What’s my excuse now, I’m asked?  There isn’t one.  I flog better than I golf, but it doesn’t keep me from trying.  So, as the rain pelts down, my mind turns on a number of issues which have been niggling at me the whole summer.

On Gardens:

It has been a wet summer.  The grass has never been greener and the flowers are doing fine.  Even my first-time ever vegetable garden is plush and growing.  There is great satisfaction in actually growing your own herbs and some vegetables.  What a satisfying activity it is to pick that fresh zucchini, or that aromatic basil, or that ever so hot pepper and mix into your meal.  I can see now why my 89 year-old father-in-law, whose garden is expansive, has been a life-long mini-farmer.  Now we are competing to see who can grow the most succulent tomato!  I don’t think I stand a chance.

On Health Care:

No one in my family, thankfully, has required on-going health care.  I have had friends though who have.  I have always been impressed with the quality of care our doctors and hospitals give those in need.  I, like others, have been occasionally frustrated by the stories of line-ups at the emergency rooms, or the wait-times for serious procedures, or the lack of doctors in our city.  As Mayor, I heard these stories all the time.  We did our bit as a city to respond appropriately.

Lately, I have been following the health care debate south of the border.  I have really taken a keen interest now that a Hamiltonian (from Waterdown) has been hired by the conservative wing of America’s political class to tell her story about Canada’s sorry state of health care.  This woman has a compelling story to tell.  She has fought brain cancer and has had to go to the US for very expensive life-saving procedures.  She is now suing the Ontario government for their lack of appropriate care.  If there has been negligence on the part of our province, I hope she succeeds. 
Her motivation might be sincere; and her medical bills are enough to give anyone pause.  However, she is being used to condemn our whole system and our whole country.  That is not right and it is not patriotic to allow yourself to be used in this way.  It also plays into the larger agenda of maintaining the status quo in the US where 45 million citizens are not insured and have either no health care protection or inadequate health care protection.  So, regardless of the personal story one has to tell, there are 45 million worse stories in the US.  I hope President Obama is successful in reforming a broken US health care system!

The Biedermann Fire in Dundas:

In July of ’07 a very bad fire of undetermined cause engulfed the Biedermann Packaging Inc. Plant in Dundas.  The fire caused some major disruption of the water system around the plant and caused the death of many, many fish in the creek.  The city expressed justifiable concern and the city’s anti-business lobby at city hall, CATCH wrote about 17 articles of explanation, criticism and nudging support for tough actions against the company.  CATCH’s ally in expressing justifiable community concern was Environment Hamilton.  Environment Hamilton and CATCH share perspectives and personnel.

The Ministry of the Environment engaged and did a thorough report on the fire and Biedermann’s role in it.  Here is a summary of the Ministry’s findings as put out in a press release by the company:

The report indicates that Biedermann Packaging had demonstrated Due Diligence in the preparation and implementation of its Emergency Response Plan (ERP).  This ERP anticipated and prepared for a fire emergency, specifically:

• Developed an appropriate ERP,
• Prepared for a fire and the related douse water,
• Implemented their plan on the day of the fire, and
• Took other actions to address the environmental impacts, including the douse water run-off.

After reviewing the MOE report, the Crown Prosecutor concluded that there was sufficient evidence that Biedermann Packaging took all reasonable care to avoid any foreseeable discharge of the douse water to Spencer Creek.

There was some hand wringing in the local press by some that no charges would be laid.  I trust the Ministry’s thorough investigation.  However, the larger point that is being missed isn’t one of culpability, but rather one of location.  Biedermann Inc. is located in the valley town of Dundas, now part of the city of Hamilton.  It has a right to be there.  But one needs to ask if a plant whose work is potentially environmentally damaging, albeit unintentionally, to the ecosystem around it, should it be located elsewhere?

Nothing can be done about this plant.  Let us hope it maintains its performance of due diligence and no other accidents occur.  However, it is an irony that doesn’t escape me that the same members of CATCH who are opposed to the Airport Industrial Land development are the ones who raise alarms about plants such as Biedermann Packaging.  Wouldn’t it be better to put these operations away from residential enclaves into purely industrial ones, such as the Airport environs?
Makes sense to me!

Hope from Hope Food Drive:

You meet the nicest people in Hamilton.  Sharon Cruickshanks of Hope from Hope is one such person.  Three years ago, Sharon who lives at 138 Hope Street, just east of Kenilworth near Warburton Park, started a food drive for Mission Services.  Last year she and her neighbours collected over 6,000 lbs. of food and nearly $1000.  How great is that?  Her campaign is in full swing now and Sharon is accepting donations.  I had the pleasure of knocking on doors with her to inform her neighbours of the drive.  People were very kind.  If you want to make a donation of food or money or if you want to organize an event yourself, call Sharon at 905-547-9003.

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