urbanicity - june 2011
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A new monthly print journal in Hamilton, Ontario.TRANSCRIPT
HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | JUNE 2011 | urbanicity.ca
THE EYES OF CHRISTOPHER STACEY
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“His name is Danny Trejo. Famous actor. Awesome guy. Great story.” - Christopher Stacey. P.9
HeritageHaltonBRAD CHICHAKIAN, B.A. | Sales Representative
HERITAGE REALTY INC. 256 Locke Street South, Hamilton ON, L8P 4B9
Office: 905.522.2222 | Cell: 905.512.0009haltonheritage.com | [email protected]
HeritageHalton
REALTY INC. BROKERAGE{
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INNOVATION CITY?
McMaster Innovation Park | Hamilton ON
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CORPORATE WELFARE BUMS: PART II
Satire stemming from ‘the great stadium debate’
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PLANNING TO MAINTAINHAMILTON’S LIVE-WORK ADVANTAGE
A common scene to many commuters
PAUL SHAKERKEANIN LOOMIS CHRIS CUTLER
CHALLENGE + CHANGE:China’s Emergence
RICK COURT
Guangzhou, China
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urban cityi A monthly journal in the bay city
(Mr. Mayor, please don’t stop reading here)
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A NEW DREAM at the DRIFTWOOD
Architect Emma Cubitt inside the Driftwood project
PAUL WILSON
In the beginning, there was the Driftwood, famous for dining, drinking, dancing. But that was many years ago. And then Main Street East went into a state of decline, the Driftwood along with it. Now the landmark is set to shine again, in a $6 MM transformation that will bring hope and homes to a corner that lost its way. In 1949, Hamilton contractor Paul Kryzan erected a large two-storey structure – a distinctive curved façade of stone - at Main and Crosthwaite, a block east of Kenilworth. Kryzan called it “Paul’s Driftwood.” This was a place to step out. There was a first-class dining room, the Fireplace Lounge, and beverage rooms for ladies and gents.
I've been very fortunate over the years to have traveled to many parts of the world. But I don't think any place fascinates me as much as China, a country I’ve visited three times in the past year alone. Twenty years ago I spent a day in Schenzen, a small village near Hong Kong. It was a pretty big deal at the time because Hong Kong was still controlled by Great Britain and Schenzen was actually in “communist” China. Schenzen in 1990 was like going back in time - they had snakes in cages in the market. If you chose one they slit it, gutted it, and wrapped it up for you to take home. The steaming entrails would sit on the road until a dog came along to eat them. Schenzen had just installed a large road - 8 lanes -
Innovation Night. Innovation Breakfast. McMaster Innovation Park. Innovation Factory. Innovation this. Innovation that. How can a word that so few people are able to define become so overused? Apparently, it's reached proportions that invite
mockery even from our own Mayor – in a recent Andrew Dreschel column in the Hamilton Spectator about the toxic sludge sitting at the bottom of Randle Reef, Mayor Bratina “Speculated that, ‘Maybe someone is going to find something that eats it up’ now that Hamilton is the ‘innovative centre of the universe,’ thanks to Mac.” I found the sarcasm to be unhelpful when so many people and organizations – including the City of Hamilton itself – have dedicated significant resources to an attempt to transform one of this city’s
As the results rolled in on election night and the rising Orange wave in Quebec crested, I was reminded of an earlier Orange campaign. Not the previous NDP high water mark of 43 seats under the popular Ed Broadbent, but the 1972 ‘corporate welfare bums’ campaign led by David Lewis, which elected 31 NDP members to the House of Commons and resulted in Trudeau’s only minority government. Interestingly it is Ralph Nader to whom the creation of the term ‘corporate welfare bums’ is often attributed. So what does corporate welfare look like in our city? Some would argue that any kind of incentive that encourages economic development in our community would broadly fall under this moniker. Still others would single out contributions that give one industry or
Hamilton is a city of contrasts: Industrial grit and natural beauty, urban and rural, wealth and poverty. However, one of the larger contrasts seldom discussed is the self-image of Hamilton versus the reality on the landscape; the facts that truly describe the city we are and the city we plan for. This is no small matter as the perception of our city has a habit of transforming itself into conventional wisdom, which, in turn, can influence how we invest and build our city. A familiar refrain is that we are a commuter suburb, and that thousands of commuters leave the city each day for work, the opposite flow from decades ago. While there are those who do commute out of the city, the facts paint a more interesting picture. According to data from Statistics Canada, a full 70% of the
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MARTINUS GELEYNSE Owner | MG International
Director | Hamilton24 [email protected]
REG BEAUDRY
Freelance | photographer Graphic designer
*PAUL WILSON Former columnist | Hamilton Spectator
MARK CHAMBERLAIN President | Trivaris Family of Companies
Chair | Jobs Prosperity [email protected]
FRED EISENBERGER Former Mayor | Hamilton, Ontario
CEO | Canadian Urban [email protected]
GRAHAM CRAWFORD
Owner | HIStory + [email protected]
*MURLINE MALLETTE
Director | Liaison College Hamilton Campus
TERRY COOKE CEO | Hamilton Community Foundation
*PAUL SHAKER Director | Centre for Community Study
RYAN McGREAL Editor | raisethehammer.org
*ADRIAN DUYZER Associate Editor | raisethehammer.org
*LAURA FARR Staff Writer
*JAMIE TENNANT Program Director | 93.3 CFMU
*CHRISTOPHER CUTLER Manager | PATH Employment Services
*JOEY COLEMAN Independent Journalist
DONNA SKELLY Broadcast Journalist
*KEANIN LOOMIS Chief Advocate | Innovation Factory
PETER ORMOND Environmental Engineer
Lecturer | Mohawk [email protected]
*RICK COURT
Dean of Business, Media, & Entertainment | Mohawk College
DON FORBES Manager, Specialist Advisory
Services | Grant Thornton [email protected]
*ROBERT LEAKER Vice-President of Innovation and
Emerging Markets | Meridian Credit [email protected]
[email protected] | urbanicity.ca 905.537.5928
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p.2HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | JUNE 2011 | urbanicity.ca
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urbanicity [ur-buh-nis-i-tee] - noun1. a monthly journal in the bay city.
Hamilton is a self-conscious city that is addicted to silver bullet solutions.
It seems that we’re always on the brink of the next great solution – the single event that will “turn our city around”. As a result, we keep finding ourselves defined by our failures; wondering when we’ll ever be defined by some grand success story. Sadly, this delusional thinking distracts us from the millions of small things that actually are moving our city forward. The stadium debate of last summer was a perfect example. For nearly six months we were engaged in a city-wide argument about where to spend a massive gift Federal and Provincial money. We found ourselves divided, nationally disgraced, and saddled with a mediocre stadium solution. Imagine if we’d spent the same amount of energy working collaboratively toward realizing ideas that could unite us, attract national acclaim, and give Hamiltonians something to be truly proud of. After all, there is a lot of low-hanging fruit, and we’re a hungry city with a fear of heights. We’re a city thirsty for inspiration – and we need to realize that inspiration doesn’t always cost $150 million.
Think for a moment of Hollywood’s famous hillside sign. Originally built as a temporary gimmick to promote a housing development, this simple signage has become one of the world’s most famous landmarks. Another great landmark is the iconic Jet d’Eau fountain in Geneva, Switzerland. This water feature shoots thousands of litres of lake water 90 metres into the air in what has become a famous, yet low cost signature feature of Geneva. I’m not suggesting that Hamilton imitate Hollywood or Geneva – but their examples are worth learning from. Have these cities received their identity from these landmarks? Or have the landmarks become famous and inspirational because of the cities they are associated with? Clearly it is the latter in each case.
It is time that Hamilton stopped searching for the silver bullet solution that will fix us. That will turn our city around. That will give us our identity. We are Hamilton. We are the Ambitious City. We are Steeltown. We are the Bay City. We are whatever we want to be. Ultimately, however, if we are proud of our city, and if we continue to invest in the millions of tiny projects and ideas that are actually contributing to the redevelopment of our city, we won’t need a silver bullet after all.
MARTINUS GELEYNSE | Publisher + Editor
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Hamilton’s escarpment | photograph manipulation by regbeaudry.com
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FORUMWe welcome discussion! Each month, the FORUM section will display letters to the Editor. Inorder to be accepted, letters must include valid contact information and the full name of the writer.
Send your letters to: [email protected]
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CITY OF CONTRASTS: Industrial grit and natural beauty | photographs by regbeaudry.com
| IDEASHAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | JUNE 2011 | urbanicity.ca
LAURA FARR WHAT’S WRONG WITH MIDDLE MANAGEMENT?
continued from p.1 | LIVE-WORK ADVANTAGE
JOEY COLEMAN PUTTING CITY HALL ON ITS BEST BEHAVIOUR
Hamilton workforce live and work in the community. That compares to neighbouring GTA cities with over 50% out-commuting who are truly defined as commuter suburbs. That means 70% of our workforce, or 206,740
workers, get up in the morning and get in a car, ride transit, walk, or cycle to a job somewhere in Hamilton. For the other 30% of the local labour force, Burlington is the most popular destination, representing about 12% of workers overall. Other major destinations include Oakville, Toronto, and Mississauga, representing 10% of workers collectively. On the flip side, about 37,000 people commute into Hamilton each day. Of that total, 30% (11,000) come from communities east along the lakeshore, including Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, and Burlington. Burlington is the single largest source of commuters into Hamilton, representing 22%. So what does this all mean? Well, for starters, it
gives us a true sense of the Hamilton commuting reality, which can help inform the planning of the city both now and into the future. Further, the types of development we promote and the investments we make today will help shape, to some degree, the extent to which we become more or less similar to our suburban GTA neighbours. Why does this matter? Having more people living and working in Hamilton creates a more sustainable community in the broad sense: economically, socially, and environmentally. People who live and work in the same city tend to be more engaged in civic affairs and have stronger connection to the community. They have a better quality of life as they avoid the headaches and stress of commuter life. Conversely, if we construct infrastructure and re-zone land in such a way that facilitates the development of commuter suburbs, we are laying the foundation for a self-fulfilling outcome that creates
segments of our community with little to no connection to the rest of the city. Further, the cost of constructing what are typically suburban developments and the significant infrastructure to transport residents in and out of the city in an efficient manner is tremendous. So it should be of considerable concern how we spend our scarce municipal dollars, especially if we are, to a degree, subsidizing our devolution as a city to become a commuter suburb. In recent years, there have been some great strides in attracting new businesses to offset some of our industrial losses. There are new businesses in a variety of sectors ranging from health-sciences, to manufacturing, to creative industries. These gains help provide places for Hamiltonians to work, which is the other important side of the live-work issue. However, one only has to drive along the city periphery to see the significant urban sprawl that had made its indelible footprint on our landscape over the
last few years. This sight, coupled with the increasingly familiar bumper-to-bumper traffic along our highways, suggests we need to consider the direction in which we are heading. To be clear, planning for efficient and coordinated regional integration is important. As well, out-commuting can occur from the inner city just as much as from the suburbs, and it can be in the form of GO transit as well cars. However, the central question remains: Are we planning our city, and dedicating the appropriate resources, to build the infrastructure for the vast majority of people who live and work here? In this context, initiatives such as Light Rail Transit, connecting local populations with local jobs within Hamilton, are reflective of the commuting reality faced by most residents. In the end, this is an issue about quality of life and competitiveness. A recent study showed that the Greater Toronto Area has the longest commute times
in North America. Hamilton’s live-work reality is a strength that we should enhance and promote as we build our future.
This article is based on the UrbanInsights Bulletin: Where Hamilton Works: Local and Regional Commuting Trends. For more information, go to CommunityStudy.ca
PAUL SHAKER is a senior planner and co-founder of the Centre for Community Study, a Hamilton-based urban research firm. He has worked at the federal and municipal levels of government most recently with the City of Hamilton including serving as a policy advisor in the Office of the Mayor. Paul is a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and a Registered Professional Planner in Ontario. [email protected]
Live streaming of council meetings is improving city governance in Hamilton. No longer can members of Council engage in disgraceful behaviour without finding themselves on YouTube within minutes. Hamilton City Council “appears to be getting along more harmoniously than it has in years,” declared the Spectator’s Andrew Dreschel in a recent print column. Dreschel attributes this to Mayor Bob Bratina's leadership style. Other than a few flare-ups with Ward 8 Councillor Terry Whitehead and the near fist-a-cuffs back in December during the Confederation Park Pan-Am stadium debate, Mayor Bratina has been able to temper himself at Council during his first six months in office. However, it is not the Mayor that deserves credit. The cameras in the Council Chamber deserve it. The first City Council meeting I attended was in 1996. Since then, I've attended many meetings and noticed an unmistakable pattern. City Council is always on their best behaviour when the gallery is full.
The second the gallery empties with only the usual suspects remaining (the people who rarely miss a meeting), Council's decorum decreases to their usual antics. The Pan-Am stadium debate meeting of August 10, 2010, reflected this perfectly. The meeting started late at 10:00 AM, with an overflow crowd of citizens spilling out into the hallways. Council was on its best behaviour. After a brief lunch recess, the gallery emptied and Council's decorum degraded quickly. Ironically, Council did not realize that thousands of people were watching the process online in what was likely the most viewed municipal meeting in the city's history. This was the first time City Council was live-streamed over the Internet, and 41,192 people watched the meeting. Many of those watching from home had left the Council Chamber, creating the appearance that no one was watching. I recall vividly that after 10 hours of debate, a member of Council proposed that a decision be put off
until a future day. One person heckled from the gallery and hundreds screamed online. Blackberries went crazy as people flooded their city councillors with emails, and the councillor quickly withdrew his motion. After the debate, a couple members of Council approached me expressing surprise that so many people were watching. Things changed that day; people were able to monitor their elected representatives from wherever they were with an Internet connection. Today, every meeting of Council is live-streamed and councillors know that people are watching. If transparency in proceedings can improve Council – a formidable task – what will open data do for city departments? Not only is it the right of every citizen to be informed of what their government is doing, it is our responsibility to be part of the governing process by making positive contributions to civic life. Open data, the release of city information in an
accessible, machine processable, non-proprietary, license-free format, will allow citizens to be more engaged. Hamilton’s open data movement, Open Hamilton, recently completed a project called WardRep (www.wardrep.ca) which allows citizens to find their political representatives by entering their home address. Presently, citizens need to use a PDF map on the city website to learn which Ward they reside in and then look up their representative on another page. With WardRep, all of this can be done in one user-friendly step. WardRep is open source and, as of the writing of this column, the City is considering replacing its current system with it. Why is there a pothole on your street that the city doesn’t seem to be fixing? Is the city even aware it exists? Is the city overwhelmed with potholes and crews are working around the clock to fill them across the city? Or is there accuracy to the stereotype of the
famous caricature of one guy filling a pothole, three guys supervising, and one guy bringing coffee while they all smoke? Open data will allow for the city to report which potholes it is aware of, how many it is filling, and for citizens to easily report potholes the city is not aware of. Simply put, open data will allow citizens to be
ambitious together. It could be as simple as reporting a pothole or as complex as creating a new application for the city. No matter your skills, you have the right to be involved. As our city motto states: Together aspire, Together achieve.
JOEY COLEMAN is one of Hamilton's emerging young journalists living downtown with his smartphone always in hand. You can follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoeyColeman [email protected]
Hamilton City Hall Chambers | photograph by regbeaudry.com
“People who live and work in the same city tend to be more engaged in civic affairs and have stronger connection to the community.” - Paul Shaker
Have you ever asked a company to provide a service or fix a problem in a way that seems quite logical to you, but you are told, “I’m sorry, sir/ma’am, unfortunately, we can’t do it that way.” T he mind, upon hearing the opposite of the expected response is typically dumbfounded, angry, and curious. Why not? Most of the blame in this type of scenario lies with middle management. When you look at corporations that still utilize the "traditional" model of corporate structure, most of them are finding that they need to figure out how to integrate X, Y, Z new technology to at least keep up with the competition – let alone to be viewed an industry leader. Restructuring of most management levels took place in the 1990s, so why then, is middle management malaise so persistent?
Studies have shown that middle management positions are the least appreciated roles in the employment spectrum. The employees that they supervise blame them for leadership incompetence, apathy, and faint praise, while the executives above them blame middle management for customer complaints and failure to benefit from opportunities. The managers are frustrated, with little room for promotion or wage increase. Chris Bones, Professor of Creativity and Leader-ship at Manchester Business School and an internationally renowned organizational development thinker, said at a conference in the UK in 2004 that, “At least part of the problem lies in the emphasis that companies and the management education community has been placing on leadership rather
than management. Leadership is terrific if you’re going to set a vision and a strategy. Good managers can get people to put in the discretionary effort that is the hallmark of a high performing company. Employees willing to apply themselves and capable of applying themselves in this way are those who understand what is expected of them because a manager has taken time to explain the job, to recognize the efforts of those who are working well and to deal properly with those who are not.”If the manager was able to better motivate their staff, and to show better returns, upper management would be happier. The middle manager would become more of an example to lower-level staff, which might inspire good things. Those seemingly logical, slightly out-of-the-box solutions would then start to fit the round peg
in the square hole. Increasingly, we see younger people not willing to “do their time” -- wasting what they feel is their talent, energy, and enthusiasm in a job that might not exist in 20 years. We see baby boomers waiting longer to retire, leaving less room for the younger generation to advance. We see a surge of entrepreneurs, and a younger generation who is eager, though lacking in experience and focus.
It is evidently happening – there’s an energetic young population that is hungry for progress. Sure, there are those who only care about their paycheque. Those who believe that they need to do nothing but passively sit by as their assets and returns dwindle. Other companies use their human potential and capital to come up with a better way of doing business
that gives every level of management a source of worthiness. These people-focused qualities are able to attract the younger skilled workers. After all, when working for an employer that values them, they know that they won't be stuck making coffee for five years while waiting for people to retire. The companies that make investments in human capital rather than conventional management structures will likely never say “I’m sorry, we just don’t do it that way,” but rather “Sure, I think we can make that work for you.”
LAURA FARR is a civically engaged, community-minded downtown resident. [email protected]
p.4HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | JUNE 2011 | urbanicity.ca
enterprise unfair advantage over another as corporate welfare. In Hamilton, the city has developed a fairly ag-gressive program of financial incentives for downtown and Community Renewal under the aegis of the Planning and Economic Development Department. These programs exist to encourage commercial development not just in our ‘core’ but in the various Business Improvement Areas (BIA) and “Main Street” commercial corridors as set out in the “Downtown and Community Renewal Community Improvement Plan” as approved by City Council. And, it is working. The 4th annual Hamilton Economic Summit celebrated recent successes emanating from the Economic Development Department, underscoring the efforts of Hazel Milsome, the Coordinator of Municipal Incentives, and the leadership of Glen Norton as Acting Manager of the Urban Renewal Section of Economic Development. An important feature of these programs is that, whether a grant or a loan, they require repayment at some point. The loan may be interest free or low interest. It results in an enhancement of the property and of our community. It adds value. It creates future tax value and revenue. It results in people living, working and shopping downtown and invariably it results in employment. But in every case the expectation is that the money will be repaid. Rewind to the debate that raged for the greater part of last year, and that ultimately dominated the October municipal elections. Most would claim that former mayor Fred Eisenberger’s intransigence on the west harbor stadium location led to the his defeat of at the hands of Bob Bratina. By the time the smoke had cleared earlier this year, the province had intervened with a cash contribution.
Ian Troop, CEO of the Pan Am organizing body was on side, and Mayor Bob had brokered a deal with Bob Young, Scott Mitchell and the Ti-Cat organization for a renovated Ivor Wynn - far from our downtown. As for the City’s contribution? A cool $45 million from the our Future Fund. Now the city’s Future Fund was established with an initial investment of $137 million resulting from a payout received at the time of the commercialization of Hamilton Utilities Corporation (HUC), now operating as Horizon Utilities. The original intent was to set aside $100 million dollars that would exist as a revolving line of credit for the city. As with every line of credit, however, a guiding principle of the fund was to be the requirement that the fund always be repaid. That is until the meeting of the Committee of the Whole (Now General Issues Committee) on April 14, 2010 when our city councillors decided that the $60 million dollars earmarked for the Pan Am Stadium and Velodrome would not require repayment. What of the erstwhile primary tenants of the soon-to-be-revitalized Ivor Wynn Stadium, the Hamilton Ti-cats and the ‘caretaker’ (owner) Bob Young? Every time the issue of repayment of funds for the construction of a new stadium or an Ivor Wynn renovation was raised, the answer was always an emphatic “no”. Even Chrysler has managed to repay 7.5 billion dollars in loans back to the U.S., Canadian and Ontario governments.So there we have it, $45 million dollars of our collective Future Fund originally designated for “strategic use in building a city that will work, grow, and prosper” being directed into the Pan Am Stadium for a two week long celebration of amateur and para-athleticism to be followed by 10 Ti-Cat home games. All of this to create part-time, seasonal minimum wage jobs selling beer and hotdogs to spectators.
. Is it a wise use of Future Fund dollars with a foreseeable ROI? Is it a strategic investment of taxpayers’ dollars that will leverage downtown development, employment growth and build community? Not likely. Is it the kind of corporate welfare that David Lewis railed against during the 1972 federal election? Absolutely. It is the most ineffective and inequitable kind. According to a Social Planning And Research Council (SPRC)l Report issued in April 2009, “nearly 90,000 Hamiltonians were living in poverty in 2005—enough people to stand and link arms on the Skyway Bridge’s entire span across Hamilton Harbour more than ten times” The average single male on assistance in Hamilton receives roughly $624 per month from social assistance and tax benefits combined. Of this meager amount, typically about $496 goes to paying rent while the $128 remainder must cover food and all other costs of living. Until now, the Ti-Cats and multi-millionaire owner/caretaker Bob Young have been receiving a $1.3 million annual subsidy from the taxpayers of the City of Hamilton. This subsidy is not just from the season ticket holders or from the 20,000 odd fans that show up for the 10 home games, but from every last women, man and child in this great city. Corporate welfare bum? You bet. That subsidy represents the equivalent of over 2240 individual welfare payments each year. Worse yet, it is given to a private business. It arguably makes multi-millionaire owner Bob Young the largest recipient of welfare assistance in Hamilton’s long history.
CHRISTOPHER CUTLER is a Manager with PATH Employment Services serving persons with disabilities. He is a proud and highly engaged resident of downtown Hamilton. [email protected]
Another example of citizen-produced satire from ‘the great stadium debate’
THE “ECO”NOMICS OF PERSONAL FINANCEROBERT LEAKER
If you’re like most Hamiltonians, your typical workday may start off with a quick pit stop at your local coffee shop drive-thru to pick up a hot coffee before starting on your commute to work. Every time you spend or invest even a nickel, you set a chain of events in place that both impacts your net worth and the world you live in. The coffee that you bought… was it a product of sustainable agriculture? Was the cup you drank from reusable or disposable? Did you really need to idle your car in the drive-thru? Were the workers who picked and packed the coffee paid fairly? What about the workers that cut down the trees to make the paper cup? What about the employee that took your order and served you? Finally, are you responsible for the variety of global injustices involved in delivering that hot cup of Joe? Sorry, but yes, you are. Interestingly enough, and contrary to a popular myth, being green doesn’t have to cost you more money. If you’re like me, you could probably save more than $500 per year by making your coffee and tea at home and reusing a travel mug. The fact of the matter is that we like to pontificate on international issues, we take up causes, we donate to worthwhile charities, and we cry in outrage at the massive environmental disasters. However, our
consumer-driven retail society has blinded us to how much control we actually have over our global impact. If you have a mutual fund portfolio or a defined contribution pension plan that you are contributing to through your place of employment, you likely pay into some “balanced index funds” or managed wrap accounts. These are balanced to protect you from the risk of the market. Unfortunately, they are generally not balanced to protect your eco-footprint. You are, through your holdings, likely a part-owner of oil, gas, logging, and SUV manufacturing auto plants located both locally and around the globe. These holdings likely include companies that operate exploitative plants in less regulated countries. Should you be held accountable for what these companies do with your investment? Since you can control your spending and investing, I argue “you betcha.” Ironically, some of the best opportunities for ethical investing are literally in our own backyard. For example, the Ontario government will guarantee you over 80 cents per KWh for 20 years to install solar panels on your roof. Unleveraged this could provide you a return of more than 12% backed by the government. When leveraged, the return could be much higher. Where else are you going to find guaranteed returns like that? Now don’t get me started
on whether or not the government should be using MY tax dollars to subsidize your retirement … The Hamilton real estate market is another example. It has enjoyed positive growth even through one of the worst economic crises of the century. How did your mutual fund portfolio fare over the last few years? I’m guessing not as well. Why not invest your money locally? You can increase your net worth and improve the city in which you live. The best investment you can make is in your primary residence. You even get to enjoy the investment while your equity grows. You can also buy investment properties or fix up that run down property up the street. There are many way to invest locally and ethically. I could go on. The point I’m trying to make, however, is that you are accountable for your spending and investing activities. You can make conscious decisions that will increase your net worth while working to improve economies and environments both locally and around the world. Think globally, act locally, and spend wisely.
ROBERT LEAKER is the Vice-President of Emerging Markets and Innovation at Meridian Credit Union. [email protected]
continued from p.1 | CORPORATE WELFARE BUMS
“You can buy investment properties or fix up that run down property up the street” - Robert Leaker | regbeaudry.com
“As the most recent owner of the Tiger-Cats, I have always believed that my primary responsibility to the organization, the fans and to the memory of my family, who I have honoured with this ownership, was to ensure that the team would remain sustainable moving forward. By that, I mean, ECONOMICALLY sustainable.”
- Bob Young
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| ISSUES
ROBERT LEAKER
McMaster Innovation Park, Hamilton ON | regbeaudry.com
HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | JUNE 2011 | urbanicity.ca
BRIDGING THE GAP: ADRIAN DUYZER
gateways and expand the tax base with high-paying, knowledge-based jobs. Then again, when you hear politicians of the slicker sort endlessly tout innovation as the panacea to our future economic competitiveness, perhaps the skepticism elicited from the more cynical among us may be deserved. Being the individual charged with elevating the profile of the new non-profit organization, Innovation Factory, within the community, I too have lamented the overuse of the word. I’m concerned that innovation risks losing its meaning before people have even grasped what it actually means. Which is why, at a recent local tech conference, I was piqued to attend a session titled “The Myth of Innovation” featuring writer/blogger Scott Berkun. In his seminar, Berkun trained the audience to be cognizant of the context in which today’s buzzwords are being employed. His point was that, when people and organizations are hollowly adopting the terms du jour, we need to vigilantly call bullshit. Berkun defined innovation as “significant, positive change.” It’s a definition I happened to like because it is non-controversial, it doesn’t pertain only to
technology, and it suggests that “innovators” do not need any particular education, skills, or traits. After the session, I walked up to Berkun and sheepishly introduced myself by saying, “I work for an organization that has innovation in its title. What do I do?” He reassuringly replied, “That’s okay, as long as you and your organization are working to affect significant, positive change in everything you do.” That resonated with me, because that indeed is our goal. Feeling empowered, I walked out of the conference thinking about Hamilton becoming a centre for innovation, not necessarily in the technological sense (though we at Innovation Factory are certainly trying), but as a community as a whole. It is certainly a city that needs significant, positive change, and is one that, by all accounts, is poised to experience just that. I have not met many people in this city who would disagree. But, while there has been positive change in Hamilton over the last few years (even in the face of strong global economic headwinds), it has not been as significant as nearly anyone would like. For example, McMaster Innovation Park certainly has
undergone rapid transformation (just take a look at the satellite photos of the area on Yahoo Maps – Camco certainly looks like it was a prolific employer!), but it will run out of steam in the not-too-distant future without a total community (and, probably, provincial and federal) effort. Thus, no matter how much we cheerlead this city, I can safely assume that everyone harbours some degree of doubt in the recesses of their minds, because Hamilton still has a jobs problem. Then again, most every city not on a Richard Florida-approved top ten list is struggling with how to confront the knowledge economy. Happily, it’s that recognition that spurred 25 private and institutional supporters to support the operations of Innovation Factory in its infancy. Law firms, accounting firms, banks, technology companies, Mohawk, Mac, the city’s EcDev department, and so many other organizations and individuals have lined up behind the common purpose of creating a web of support for the next generation of quality jobs generators. But, it’s going to require a lot more help than that. As a community, we have to create the optimal conditions
for the next generation of job generators to flourish. The strategies for triggering a dynamic knowledge economy are many – some work and some do not – and can fill future columns at length. For now, suffice it to say that some tough choices are going to have to be made, and some assumptions about what can and can’t be done here in Hamilton are going to have to be challenged. But the first step is in recognizing that the status quo is not acceptable, and that is something on which this community of 500,000 people can almost universally agree. A few questions then: What, if anything, is standing in the way of Hamilton realizing significant, positive change? While people recognize that the status quo is not good enough, I don’t see a broad swath of the citizenry active enough in pushing for it. Do we have the right political leadership? Surely our city councillors would all answer in the affirmative if they were asked whether they supported significant, positive change, but I haven't seen anything to indicate to me that they are doing anything to foment it. Then again, I heard our former Mayor talk about it all the time and not much happened there either. Does that mean that our municipal political system is
broken? Certainly we can’t just wait for our local politicians to act, but where is the private sector in helping transform Hamilton at a much more rapid pace? Why is it that the people who recognize Hamilton as a can’t-miss opportunity are mostly from out of town? I would hope that progress is so inexorable that it will happen in spite of uninspiring local leadership. Is it inevitable, especially when (or if?) the global economy improves? If so, is it out-of-towners who are primarily going to be reaping the rewards? These are the many questions I still haven’t found answers to in my almost two years in Hamilton. In the meantime, I and the thousands of people in this city pushing forward with the “innovation agenda” will continue undaunted, certain that most, if not all, of the right ingredients now exist. We would welcome the Mayor’s full support and active participation.
KEANIN LOOMIS is Chief Advocate at the Innovation Factory, a not-for-profit Regional Innovation Centre. [email protected]
continued from p.1 | INNOVATION CITY
Walkability has emerged as a key priority for Hamilton, but the way the city currently interacts with residents could make achieving it more difficult than it needs to be. What happened when the city's Public Works department set out to repair a small pedestrian bridge near my home illustrates some potential pitfalls. This bridge connects the two sides of Pearl Street, allowing pedestrians to traverse over the TH & B railway line near Locke. Originally built to accommodate vehicle traffic as well as pedestrians, this charming wood-surfaced bridge is a vital part of the neighbourhood. The bridge is roughly eight metres wide. Two
pathways, one on each side of the bridge, connect to the sidewalks along Pearl. The center of the bridge, where cars once travelled, is a large rectangular area where people often sat on lawn chairs to trainspot. When the bridge required repair a few years ago,
Public Works replaced large sections of the pedestrian walkways on each side. At the same time, however, they cordoned off the large, central portion of the bridge with chain link fencing, presumably so they would no longer need to maintain it. This once-charming bridge now has a penitentiary aesthetic. The cordoned-off middle section once enjoyed by locals is now a convenient trash repository for litterers and a great place for weeds to flourish. Because it's secured with a six-foot-tall chain link fence, neighbourhood residents can't clean it up. This small example illustrates a fundamental disconnect between how Public Works views the city and how residents view the city. To Public Works, the bridge is a functional piece of infrastructure, providing pedestrians a way to travel from A to B. To residents, the bridge is part of their living space. When people need to purchase a new couch,
obtaining a large L-shaped object with padded surfaces is not their primary goal. Instead, they seek something that is comfortable and attractive, that complements the other pieces of furniture they own already, and that fits with the aesthetic of their living room. In the case of the Pearl Street bridge, had city staff spoken with residents in the area, the disconnect between their plans and what residents actually wanted would have become apparent. Conversely, it's unlikely that many residents would have attended a public information session about plans for something so minor. This brings up another important issue: the way the city consults with residents is fundamentally outdated. At the Hamilton Economic Summit, Jill Stephens, Director of Strategic Planning and Rapid Transit, lamented the fact that the "same people" show up at
every information session about LRT. That's because people are busy and have little time for often- boring public information sessions or always-boring 60-page planning documents. Instead, the city should become a leader in online engagement by providing citizens with simple, streamlined, and entertaining ways to evaluate proposals and provide comments based on their neighbourhood’s needs. In the case of the Pearl Street bridge, imagine if the city had posted signs next to the bridge that advised residents of its plans for the bridge and that featured a short, memorable address to a website where residents could provide suggestions, vote for suggestions they approved of, and provide commentary on the plans. Taking this approach would represent a sea of change in the way the city collects information from
residents and how it produces plans. Instead of dictating available options to residents, the city would act like a business that seeks to satisfy the wishes of its clients, and it would interact with citizens in a profoundly more modern, accessible way than it does now. Direct, digital democracy is not a new concept, but it is frequently criticized on the grounds that citizens are not informed enough to make wise decisions about complex issues.However, no one knows neighbourhood issues better than the people who live there. For fundamentally local, living space issues – like walkablility -- transforming the way the city and residents communicate is essential.
ADRIAN DUYZER is an entrepreneur, business owner, and Associate Editor of raisethehammer.org. He still believes that Hamilton can be the Ambitious City. Adrian lives in downtown Hamilton with his family. [email protected]
“This once -charming bridge now has a penitentiary aesthetic” - Adrian Duyzer | Photograph by regbeaudry.com
The City and the Citizens
“Why is it that the people who recognize Hamilton as a can't-miss opportunity are mostly from out of town?" - Keanin Loomis
p.6
FROM THE PAST TO THE PRESENT | a gathering, circa 1972 > demise in the 2000’s > new architectural drawings > in progress > entrance skylight | final two photos by Paul Wilson + regbeaudry.com
MURLINE MALLETTE EVENINGS ENJOYED |
HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | JUNE 2011 | urbanicity.ca
Slainte + Stonewalls
continued from p.1 | DRIFTWOOD
In 1977, the Bermarija family purchased the business and shortened the name to the Driftwood. Music was big – lots of country bands, and karaoke too. The Bermarijas eventually moved with the times, did major renovations, and turned the old Driftwood into Rookies, one of Hamilton’s premiere sports bars. That formula worked well for years. But in 2004 the family retired and sold the place off. In its last incarnation, the Driftwood building was home to a bar called Jamrock. The police visited often. Three years ago, a group called Homestead Christian Care checked the place out. Homestead began in Hamilton in the mid-‘70s, the concept of a couple named John and Siny Prinzen. He was a social worker, and her skills included running Connaught Fish and Chips beside Gage Park. Homestead’s main focus is to serve those with mental illness through affordable housing and rehab services. There’s goal setting, life skills training, and a spiritual component too, of the non-denominational variety.
It began with one six-bed house on Locke Street South. Now Homestead Christian Care runs a six-storey building on Caroline, an eight-storey building on Robinson, a couple of properties on Wentworth South, and another in Woodstock. Most of these were neglected buildings brought back to life. “We see renewal as part of our calling,” says Graham Cubitt, Homestead’s Director of Projects. The group had heard the Driftwood building was available. They took a tour. The place was still solid, but abused. In the basement, dead pigeons and ankle-deep water. And on the second floor, shabby rooms rented by the month. Kicked-in doors, broken windows, no heat. Tenants warmed their places with candles. In short, the Driftwood was perfect for another Homestead housing project. They bought the place for $700,000. That was financed by friends of Homestead, who promised to lend enough money to carry the mortgage
for two years. The plan was to go after funds from the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program, the same program from which the Royal Connaught’s owners tried and failed to win funding. But Homestead did all the homework for its Drift-wood dream. Its proposal was shovel ready. The street-façade studies, the noise studies, and the traffic studies were all complete, full building permits obtained. T here were arduous negotiations with Rogers, which has a long-term lease on a cellphone tower on the roof and wasn’t of a mind to expedite matters. In the end, it cost Homestead $150,000 to relocate the Rogers tower temporarily during renovations. But Homestead knew it had the right project in the right place. “This is a great location,” says Jeff Nevens, Director of Operations. “It’s on the B-Line. There’s the library, the Y, a farmers’ market. And there’s a real need here.” The province thought the project made sense, too,
and the Driftwood project was awarded $5.3 million. Homestead is now working on raising another $1 million for community space in the building. Work began with the arrival of a guest from Mississippi. Dr. John M. Perkins is 80, a former sharecropper who became a civil rights activist. He wrote an influential book called Beyond Charity: The Call To Christian Community Development. And now the project on Main East will carry his name. He visited last spring to take a ceremonial swing of the sledgehammer. On that solid Driftwood foundation, a third floor has been added. The centre will have 46 efficiency apartments, each a snug 250 square feet. Rent is about $400, plus utilities. First tenants move in September 1st and they’ll have amenities such as indoor bicycle parking, chargers for mobility scooters, and a computer lounge. There will be computers in the laundry area too. The street and lower levels will house a collective kitchen, the New Hope Bike Co-op, an artists’ co-op, a
church, and a meeting space. And the McMaster School of Nursing will have office, classroom, and clinic space for student learning within the community. Right through the middle of this big, once-dark building, there’s a bright new atrium. “I had to fight for that light,” says Emma Cubitt. She’s with Garwood-Jones & Hanham architects, and wife of Homestead’s Director of Projects. “Light is important,”s he says. “It’s not only a signal of hope. It can bring hope.” She says the atrium is getting an art installation – a mobile with a flock of 220 ascending doves. “It’s to represent all the residents of Homestead,” she says, “and the peace we hope they’ll find.”
PAUL WILSON blew into town 30 years ago to work at the Hamilton Spectator and learned to love this place. For most of his career at The Spec, he wrote a three-times-a-week column called StreetBeat. He recently stepped away from that to become a citizen at large. [email protected]
“Light is important. It’s not only a signal of hope. It can bring hope”- Emma Cubitt | Garwood-Jones + Hanham Architects
I hadn’t been to Slainte Irish Pub for ages. That changed a few Saturdays ago, when my partner and I were joining friends Jack, Diane, and Larry for dinner and a performance of “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” at Theatre Aquarius. At the pub we received a warm greeting and were seated in the cozy area by the fireplace. We advised the waitress that we were not in a hurry and settled down to chat up a storm. The menu is quite extensive, but the three men ordered fish and chips as usual. Diane and I opted for the lamb chops and polenta. The lamb was perfect but the polenta left a lot to be desired. Neither of us
finished it. I must admit that having chefs both in our family and our business does spoil me. Unlike the polenta, however, the service was perfect. After some coffee we walked over to the theatre to see “Buddy”. We actually knew all the words to the songs, and if we hadn’t been afraid of bringing down the balcony we would have been dancing in the aisles. My close friend and theater pal Peter Mackie passed away recently. His wake will be held at Slainte, and so the local theatre family will gather once again and send Peter off with all our love. There will be plenty of toasts (beer drinkers all), some very good food, and of
course some tall stories and little ditties. I’m glad we are able to gather together and say goodbye to Peter. You’ve been a wonderful friend these past 40 years. I’m certain Jimmy has his hand out to you.
After our evening with Buddy Holly, I spent Mother’s Day at Stonewalls (York and Queen) with pizza and my all-time favourite band: Jack de Keyser. By now you can tell that I’m not the usual “Mom.” Stonewalls is a relatively new restaurant to the
downtown area. Once again we enjoyed great service. Nina made certain everything was perfect for us. I loved the décor; clean, cool, and not too sporty. We arrived at 4:30 PM and by 5:00 PM the place was nearly full. The menu has something for everyone and is well priced. Since the restaurant features a full open pizza oven we felt we must order pizza. I enjoy it with a nice thin crust, and well topped with pepperoni, cheese, tomatoes, and basil. I love an authentic pizza. No pineapple for me! I’m an old (mature!) rocker at heart, and so great
food with some “Classic Jack” was a solid afternoon of pure bliss. Jack and his band are on the road this summer, but will be back at Stonewalls in September every Sunday. Sure beats the couch and 60 minutes! I haven’t a clue where I’m off to next – always a surprise.
MURLINE MALLETTE is the Executive Director/Owner of Liaision College of Culinary Arts Hamilton Campus. [email protected]
191 James Street North }{ Hamilton, Ontario }{ L8R 2K9 }{ 905.523.7269 }{ acclamation.caFREE PARKING * PRIVATE LOUNGE for 60 PEOPLE * PATIO
| EXPERIENCES p.7
JUNIOR BOYS:JAMIE TENNANT Exported from Hamilton
HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | JUNE 2011 | urbanicity.ca
It’s mid-afternoon on a Friday at the Brain, and the evening’s bustle has yet to begin. There are only two patrons, playing chess in the back of the James St. N. bar, while co-owner and Junior Boy Jeremy Greenspan sits at the bar. Suddenly his cell phone buzzes with the news that his band’s new single “Banana Ripple” was tagged by Pitchfork under “Best New Music.” A quick check of the website tells him the track has had 45,000 plays. At last check, 18 hours ago, it was at 33,000. One week later, it will verge on 100,000. It’s no stretch that folks on the interwebs are calling the new Junior Boys album “hotly anticipated.” Greenspan and Matt Didemus have been the heart of the Junior Boys since the early 2000s. The group’s sophisticated rhythms, crystalline production, and vaguely ‘80s vibe has led many to dub their sound “suave and sophisticated,” and while that’s not inaccurate, it’s not as though Matt and Jer are trying to
be an electro answer to Bryan Ferry; their sound is all their own On June 14, the Junior Boys will release their fourth full-length, It’s All True, on indie powerhouse Domino Records. Recorded in Shanghai, Berlin, and Ontario, and mastered by Bob Weston (Shellac, Mission of Burma), It’s All True shows growth in several direction. The band has expanded its sound without losing its unique identity. “Itchy Fingers” clocks BPMs faster than they’ve ever been. “Playtime” is sparser than anything found on the roomy Last Exit, while “Banana Ripple” is the densest, somewhere near 175 audio tracks. Trickles of experience drip through the spaces between tracks, too, thickening up the mix (for example, listen closely and you’ll hear subtle nods to Greenspan’s short stay in Shanghai). Constant exposure to music always influences Greenspan’s writing, though it’s more like a radio wave passing through than a concrete sound. The
two-step and UK Garage influences that went into their debut Last Exit, for example, remained diffused; they never recorded a straight-up garage track. This time around, Greenspan’s muse was soul, though soul in various guises, including deep house, ‘70s soul, early disco, white boy soul (Steely Dan, 10CC), and modern R&B. “It has more of an R&B kind of feel,” says Greenspan. “It’s kind of an R&B record, in a way. “ It’s also a Junior Boys record, bringing back all the elements fans hope to hear. They’ll take the music to those fans soon enough, kicking off their tour in Canada before hitting the U.S. and Europe. Several countries in Latin and South America have expressed interest in seeing the band, as well, and Greenspan hopes that can happen this time around. “I did this DJ tour of Mexico, and those went phenomenally well,” he says. “Just to DJ, I had 1,500 people come out to each show, which was crazy. I
think that’s where we would get the biggest audience.” The Junior Boys’ music has an intercontinental appeal – and an intercontinental writing process. Didemus now lives in Berlin, and co-writing no longer involves an afternoon drop-in at Greenspan’s apartment. Still, with some effort, the two make it work, writing separately and together when the transcontinental trips can be made. “It’s pretty hard to try and convince someone to live in Hamilton,” Greenspan jokes. Certainly, even the staunchest Hammer supporter would have trouble comparing the city to Berlin, and Greenspan can definitely be described as a “supporter.” While he could easily relocate to any city of his choice, he remains right here, setting up his business on James North. Much of his recording is done upstairs from the Brain, where he currently runs his studio. “Hamilton is a big part of Junior Boys for me,” he says. “On a sort of philosophical, intellectual level, I
take a lot from Hamilton.” As musicians, the Junior Boys don’t feel like they fit in with a particular genre, and Greenspan believes that one of the great strengths of Hamilton, creatively and artistically, is there’s no pressure to fit in with a “hip, happening scene.” “A lot of the creative types in Hamilton are really unpretentious and do art for the right reasons - because they’re compelled to do it, maybe,” he says. “I really like that. I like that energy that we don’t feel like we fit in. Hamilton also doesn’t feel like it fits in - like it’s divorced from the rest of the world and nobody pays attention. It mirrors how I feel what the Junior Boys are about.”
JAMIE TENNANT is the Program Director at 93.3 CFMU FM, the campus-based community station at McMaster University. [email protected]
“A lot of the creative types in Hamilton are really unpretentious and do art for the right reasons - because they’re compelled to do it, maybe,”
- Jeremy Greenspan
continued from p.1 | CHALLENGE + CHANGE
as part of their development plans. I remember that the few cars and many bikes were traveling in every direction on the road - there were no traffic lights and every corner was chaos. In March of this year I returned to Schenzen. In less than 20 years it had gone from a “village” of 500,000 to a city of 13 million people with modern buildings, bumper-to-bumper traffic, a state- of-the-art airport, and a world class golf facility with twelve 18-hole courses and 4,000 caddies. This story defines China for me - a country that has transformed itself to an ultra modern, constantly improving, always-under-construction world superpower in less than a generation.
On my last trip I visited Guangzhou (pronounced Gwongjoe) – a beautiful city that completely re-built its central business district to prepare itself for the 2010 Asian Games. Imagine Hamilton bulldozing its entire downtown (Feswick, please calm down – I’m speaking hypothetically) and re-building it with state-of-the-art architecture in a matter of a few years. Now increase the scale by a factor of 10 and you have an idea of how massive this project was. Guangzhou isn't the only city with huge growth aspirations. I also visited Xi'an (pronounced She-an) to witness another city undergoing a transformation. Xi'an is known as one of China's ancient walled cities, famous for being the home of the Terracotta Warriors.
This is one of the most amazing architectural finds of all times; having recently been unearthed from a farmer's field after lying hidden since the time of the Qin dynasty around 200 BC. Add this to your bucket list because you cannot imagine what you'll see. With growth however, come problems, and in China that's spelled t-r-a-f-f-i-c. Gridlock is common and the sound of car horns constant. There are so many cars that Beijing has a city ordinance that says you are not allowed to drive your car one day a week. The fine for non-compliance is heavy. How do the Chinese cope with traffic? Simple. They drive like maniacs. I strongly recommend sitting in the back seat if you are being driven anywhere in China
unless you have a strong constitution. I remember taking a tour of Rome about 10 years ago and laughing when the tour guide said that traffic lights were only a suggestion. At least they were a suggestion that some drivers followed - virtually no one does in China. If there's an opening you drive through it, no matter how small. Somehow the system works - you see very few accidents and hardly any cars show the scrapes and dings common here. And the best part is that no one ever loses their temper. The hospitality business is thriving and the Chinese have taken service to a new level. Regularly you will see the entire staff of a restaurant lined up with military precision outside getting their instructions for the day.
On my last night in Beijing I went to a small Thai restaurant where we were greeted by 6 girls at the door in traditional costume. Inside there was a waitress for every table. Our order was taken using a wireless device, and a remote call button was placed on the table in case we needed anything. We had enough (excellent) food to feed an army and the bill for two was about $30, tipping not allowed! A visit to China will open your eyes to many things: a people, a culture, and a competitor that has stepped up its game. We better be ready.
RICK COURT is the Dean of Business, Media and Entertainment at Mohawk [email protected]
30 years ago, Shenzen was a fisherman village with a few thousand people. Today, it is a massive metropolis home to 13 million people.
Matt Didemus and Jeremy Greenspan | photograph by Saccenti/Glauer
p.8HAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | JUNE 2011 | urbanicity.ca
"The Tivoli is one
of those hidden
magical places
that can only be
found in Hamilton.
The idea that I had
behind the photo
was a memory,
fusing together
What was the
before and what
remains now.
Taking that photo
wasn't easy. Try
lighting a 700-seat
theatre with two
lights....I'm hoping
the photos I've
taken really bring
some awareness to
desperate need to
restore the Tivoli.
It could be such an
amazing space...
Anyone have
$7,000,000 kicking
around? Maybe
they'll name it after
you. Or at least a
plaque."
- Christopher Stacey
Photo
gra
ph b
y C
hrist
opher
Sta
cey
p.9
| PROFILEHAMILTON ONTARIO | CANADA | Published Monthly | JUNE 2011 | urbanicity.ca
TOP LEFT TO RIGHT | Herbie Hancock + Jane Seymour + Rick Springfield + Carl Reiner + Dolph Lundgren + Marlee Matlin + Eric Roberts | BOTTOM LEFT TO RIGHT | Ed Begley Jr. + Debi Mazar + Cheech & Chong + Bob Barker + Hugh Hefner + Kathy Ireland
IN A NUTSHELL:
“Born in Toronto. Lived in Vancouver and Australia as a kid. Moved to Kilbride (north Burlington). Both parents are from Hamilton. Now lives and loves downtown Hamilton.”
ON HIS TALENT:
“I get a lot of my natural talent from my parents. My dad is an amazing artist. I was surrounded by media and television my whole life. I guess you can't fight the inevitable.”
ON HIS CAREER:
“I started out doing music and studied music at school. I would take my dad’s video camera and make skate videos (skateboard) with my buddies. At some point... I don't remember exactly when... But I thought I could make music videos. And so I made my first video of me and my rap group knights of the realm. The video was called "do you" (I feel like that was another life... It's hard to believe that was me). After that I decided to do a post grad in directing and editing at Sheridan College. There my final project was another music video called "Father" and that was a song by Chris Stacey, not a rap group called Knights of the Realm. Both videos got play on Much Music and got some attention from the music community. That's how my career started.”
ON HIS PHOTOGRAPHY:
“Photography came into the picture about five years ago. I was shooting a documentary in the Yukon and thought I'd document my experiences and take some pretty pictures while I was there. This was the first time I had ever touched a still camera, beside my parents point and shoot. Since then, me and SLR’s have been attached at the hip. At the start a lot of the photo work I got was from my clients that I already did video work for. There was one summer I thought I'd try wedding photography....Did well. Then never thought about doing it again. Not for me. Good money, though. The celebrity photos I was commissioned to do by two different companies. Most of them were for "Unscripted" a celebrity bio show. And iTunes (both were shot in LA)”
ON CELEBRITIES:
“Give me a question about the celebs... I'm sure exactly what to say.....maybe. I had my first taste of celebrities working as a producer for the Toronto International Film Festival... It's amazing how short most of them are. I always think the pretty ones are hitting on me. My wife tells me I'm delusional. I hope their insecurity isn't contagious. It's amazing how much they like you to take their photo... And don't like you to take their photo... ?"
“It’s amazing how short most of them are”
- Christopher Stacey on celebrities
continued from p.1 | THE EYES OF CHRISTOPHER STACEY
Christopher Stacey at his loft in downtown Hamilton | self portrait | chrisstaceyproductions.com
Filmmaker + PhotographerCHRISTOPHER STACEY |
