Not surprisingly, the outrage in Hamilton continues in the wake of the revelation that billions of litres of wastewater flowed into Chedoke Creek and, by extension, Cootes Paradise.
The story has gained national attention and has put Hamilton in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
READ MORE: Hamilton council agrees to full apology for Chedoke Creek spill, release of confidential documents
The fact that the spill occurred over a four-year period is in itself mind-boggling, but city council’s decision to withhold that pertinent information is outrageous.
Adding salt to the wound is the fact that this is the second time in a year that we’ve discovered someone at city hall decided to suppress important information.
When phrases like “environmental catastrophe” and “breach of trust” are bandied about, it only hurts the reputation of a city that is trying to attract national and international investment in the community.
There has been a plethora of petitions and pleas for members of city council to resign, but that’s not likely to happen, especially because most members of the council seem to think that by keeping the report about the sewage leak under wraps, they did nothing wrong!
There will be reports over time about any damage to the fragile ecosystem caused by this leak, but the lack of transparency and breach of trust by city council may be the deepest cut of all.
Bill Kelly is the host of the Bill Kelly Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML.