Latest on the Climate Change Reserve (CCR) budget
On Thursday, Feb 12, the evening before the debate in Council, Cllr Mike Spadafora submitted item 9.7 to the General Issues Committee (Budget) scheduled for the following day. This motion called for the Climate Change Reserve (CCR) budget for Hamilton to be deferred to 2027.
The CCR was established in 2018 in order to fund initiatives that advance the City’s approved climate change goals. It is administered by the Office of Climate Change Initiatives (OCCI).
The amount in question was $2.5 million, which corresponds to a saving of $9.72 (a couple of cups of coffee) on taxpayer bills for 2026. If it had passed, it would have severely hampered the OCCI’s ability to implement climate initiatives in our city in 2026 and restricted its ability to apply for funding from outside sources as funding applications must demonstrate that there is already some funding in place.
So what happened?
Success! After over 150 emails sent to City Hall from Hamiltonians, the majority of Council (9 to 6) voted NO to preserve the OCCI funding in 2026!
- YES (defer funding): Cllrs Francis (Ward 5), Jackson (Ward 6), Cooper (Ward 8), Clark (Ward 9), Beattie (Ward 10), and Spadafora (Ward 14).
- NO (maintain funding): Cllrs M. Wilson (Ward 1), Kroetsch (Ward 2), Nann (Ward 3), Hwang (Ward 4), Tadeson (Ward 11), Cassar (Ward 12), A. Wilson (Ward 13), McMeekin (Ward 14), and Mayor Horwath.
(Cllr Pauls was absent for the vote.)
It’s worth noting that while Hamilton has over 125 Reserve Fund Accounts, right-wing Councillors seem to single out the Climate Reserve Fund year after year. One might expect this sort of climate change denial from the Trump administration, but here in Hamilton?
Debate highlights (4:01m)
Listen to what else councillors have said
Cllr. Mike Spadadfora on OCCI staffing levels and OCCI reserve funds.
Cllr. Rob Cooper on OCCI (rebuke by Chair Maureen Wilson at 11:07) and cycling (reply by the Mayor and staff at 11:10).
Cllr. Esther Pauls on OCCI and cycling, plus cyclists should just take the bus or walk (yes, really!) and an inaccurate $81 million claim rebuked at 11:58).
Cllr. Tom Jackson on cycling.
What’s next?
Incredibly, both Spadafora, who submitted the motion, and Francis, who seconded it, are both on the board of the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA). This is a stunning conflict of interest and we call for them both to be summarily removed from the HCA board. This would be no great loss as of the 12 HCA board meetings held in 2025, Spadafora attended only three and Francis only five. One might ask what they were doing on the board in the first place.
Other councillors who voted for the motion and who also sit on the HCA board are Cllrs Brad Clark (Board Chair) and Jeff Beattie.
Live H350 Meeting Recordings
This section lists the most recent monthly Action Updates for which we have video recordings. See our YouTube channel for older Action Updates and other videos.
Jan 2026
Protect Our CAs
Lisa Burnside (CAO, Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA))
Cllr. Brad Clark (Chair, HCA)
Tony Morris (Conservation Policy & Campaigns Director, Ontario Nature)
Nov 2025
OCCI Update
Lynda Lukasik (Director, Office of Climate Change Initiatives (OCCI)) describes a series of climate-related initiatives recently approved by Hamilton City Council.
Jun 2025
Fixed Urban Boundary 2!
Ian Borsuk (ED, Environment Hamilton)
Cameron Kroetsch (City Councillor, Ward 2)
Phil Pothen (Pgm Mgr, Environmental Defence)
May 2025
Climate Action, Hope, Risks
Prof. Danny Harvey
(Dept. of Geography, U of T) discusses seven reasons for cautious optimism in the transition to a carbon-free future.
Supporting a Progressive City Council
Getting off gas
Divesting from Fossil Fuels
Fighting Urban Sprawl
Transit for All
Action groups are where the real work happens in support of our campaigns. Action groups meet every week or two, depending on the group and current needs. Multiple action groups can work on any one campaign, and multiple campaigns can be associated with any one action group.
Climate
Justice
Focusing on a just transition and ethical practices.
Conservation
Matters
Responding to local attacks on the environment.
Elders 4 Climate
Sanity
Taking climate action for the next generation and beyond.
Fossil Fuel
Resistance
Promoting the transition to renewable energy.
Transit
Matters
Pushing for free, frequent and electric transit.
Other Initiatives
A few other groups provide support and direction for Hamilton 350. These include the Steering Committee (responsible for setting overall goals and direction); the Welcoming Committee (responsible for orienting new members); and Digital Communication (responsible for our website, social media content, email bulletins, and general IT matters).
Upcoming Events
350 represents 350 parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.
We are at 424.3 as of 26 September 2025
For this statistic—and much more—see the website CO2-Earth .
Hamilton 350 acknowledges that we are on the traditional lands of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and Mississauga peoples, which are governed by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Agreement and are covered by the Great Lakes Purchase of 1792.