Two city apologies, a fatal stabbing of a high school student, an altercation at Pride and the cancellation of a billion-dollar transit project were catalysts for some of Hamilton’s biggest headlines in 2019.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest stories of the year covered by Global News:
City of Hamilton apologizes after 2013 report on ‘slippery’ Red Hill Valley Parkway uncovered
A 2013 friction test that was never released publicly and cited concerns about the Red Hill Valley Parkway led the City of Hamilton to issue a public apology and commission a public inquiry in May.
The inquiry is looking into unanswered questions about a 2013 Tradewind Scientific report, which was buried for six years.
The report analyzed friction levels on the parkway and recommended a “more detailed investigation” and “possible remedial action” to enhance the surface texture and friction characteristics of the parkway.
The lawsuit states that over 2,000 vehicles have lost control on the road in the past 12 years, resulting in either single- or multiple-vehicle crashes.
Two law firms, Grosso Hooper and Scarfone Hawkins, issued a statement of claim against the City of Hamilton for what they say is “negligent design, construction and maintenance.”
Lawyers are still seeking a certification motion before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Hamilton.
Meanwhile, Superior Court Justice Herman Wilton-Siegel said in an October statement that he will update the public inquiry on Jan. 9, 2020, addressing timelines and how residents can participate in the process.
Once completed, Wilton-Siegel’s written findings and recommendations are expected to be on the public record.
Youths face first-degree murder charge in Hamilton’s 2nd homicide of 2019
Three male youths appeared in court in April to answer to charges of first-degree murder after Hamilton police say a 17-year-old boy was found dead in his vehicle.
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Police say they responded to reports of a single-vehicle collision in the area of Patterson and Wesley roads in Dundas around 7:35 p.m. on April 15.
READ MORE: Hamilton police charge teacher with first-degree murder in house fire death of Dundas couple
Upon arrival, officers reportedly found a deceased teenage boy in a vehicle off the road near a forested area.
Hamilton police have since identified the victim as Abdalla Hassan. A post-mortem concluded that Hassan was killed by a gunshot wound.
One of the three teens charged in the case — a 16-year-old — was granted bail in October. Details of the hearing were not reported due to a publication ban.
The names of the accused also cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
All three of the accused will return to a Hamilton court on Jan. 27, 2020, according to the Ministry of the Attorney General.
Police report ‘minor injuries’ after altercation between two groups near Hamilton Pride event
Hamilton police arrested five people in connection with a fight at the Hamilton Pride Festival at Gage Park on June 15.
The incident was the catalyst for a number of demonstrations in the city months later, including a march on Mayor Fred Eisenberger’s home in late June in which he claimed “agitators” yelled profanities and left signs on his lawn.
In October, Eisenberger agreed to have a lawyer lead a third-party review of Hamilton police’s response after much criticism from the LGBTQ2 community charging that officers were slow to respond to violence at Pride.
In November, Toronto lawyer Scott Bergman of Cooper, Sandler, Shime and Bergman LLP was appointed to conduct the review after a recommendation from a city subcommittee.
Bergman’s report and recommendations are expected by April 30, 2020.
Meanwhile, Chris Vanderweide, the Kitchener man also known as “Helmet Guy” after he allegedly hit people in the face with a helmet at the Pride event, has a trial date set for September 2020. Vanderweide, 27, is charged with two counts of assault with a weapon.
Bus driver assaulted by passenger in downtown Hamilton
A 73-year-old transit veteran received 20 stitches to his face and shoulders after an assault involving a GO bus passenger in early July.
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Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins told Global News the incident happened just after 1 p.m. on a Richmond Hill-bound bus at King Street across from Summers Lane.
Driver Derrick Sealy would later say he was “lucky to be alive” after his encounter with 24-year-old Rocco Vietri, who hopped aboard the bus and ran up to the second level without paying his fare.
Vietri was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily harm and failure to comply with his probation. The 24-year-old pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 months in jail.
Hamilton firefighter hurt during Albion Falls rescue
Three hikers who said they had “lost their way” at Albion Falls had to be rescued by close to 20 firefighters in late July.
Hamilton police said a female hiker and a firefighter were hurt in the incident.
The firefighter sustained “serious” injuries to his head and face, including fractures, after he fell in a nearby embankment away from the water.
Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe later called the incident “absolutely preventable.”
“People need to adhere to the signage and the protection that’s being put in place,” Cunliffe said.
The injured firefighter was released from hospital in mid-August.
Demolition of old Hamilton Specialty Bar building results in massive dust cloud
The City of Hamilton investigated a massive dust cloud that floated over the east end in September minutes after the demolition of an old steel mill.
Following the demolition, local non-profit organization Environment Hamilton urged residents to contact the Ministry of the Environment with concerns about potentially toxic elements in the dust cloud.
However, in a statement released in November, a group that included the associate medical officer of health, a director from the healthy environments division and a manager from the health hazards and vector-borne diseases program said dust from the demolition was “unlikely” to result in any “adverse long-term health outcomes” for nearby residents.
2 suspects face 1st-degree murder charge after teen fatally stabbed outside Hamilton high school
On Oct. 7, Hamilton police alleged two teenagers were involved in the fatal stabbing of 14-year-old Devan Bracci-Selvey outside Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School.
Emergency crews were called to the Main Street East school just before 1:20 p.m., forcing nearby schools and a daycare centre into a brief hold-and-secure.
Bracci-Selvey, who had been injured in what police called a “serious assault,” was rushed to Hamilton General Hospital, where he later died.
Two people were arrested after the incident. A 14-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man were each subsequently charged with first-degree murder.
The 14-year-old youth is still charged with first-degree murder, according to police. He is due back in court in late January.
The 18-year-old saw his first-degree murder charge withdrawn by the Crown in December after it was determined there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction. He is now facing assault charges, including assault with a weapon, administering a noxious substance and possession of a prohibited weapon, according to police.
He was released on bail with conditions. He’s back in court on January 27, 2020.
Further details on the two accused cannot be reported due to a publication ban in accordance with the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Bracci-Selvey’s death prompted a number of anti-bullying initiatives and a dialogue about violence in schools across the city and throughout the province.
In late November, Education Minister Stephen Lecce introduced new measures to combat bullying in schools including teaching educators anti-bullying and de-escalation techniques as well as administering a survey encouraging students to share their experiences with bullying.
Hamilton police search for trike reported stolen from apartment complex garage
In late October, Hamilton police began looking for a man’s adult tricycle that was reported stolen from Olympia Apartments at 150 Charlton Ave.
The trike, which belonged to a man with “limited mobility,” was targeted, police say.
“The bike was actually parked in the underground parking. It had two locks on it,” explained Const. Lorraine Edwards.
“The victim did everything right. Unfortunately, it was targeted. I think the individual knew the bike was there and came equipped and ready to remove the locks.”
A GoFundMe campaign was launched in an effort to help the owner purchase a new trike. Residents offered to take Roberto Da Silva Ribeiro, the man whose trike had reportedly been stolen, to appointments and to get groceries.
In November, Da Silva Ribeiro thanked police and the residents of Hamilton for “the outpouring of support” in a statement.
“It has been truly overwhelming and surprising. I think I’ll be OK now,” Da Silva Ribeiro said.
Hamilton mother in ‘shock’ after she and son with disabilities kicked off Swoop Airlines flight
A Hamilton mother says she was shocked after she and her 21-year-old son with disabilities were booted off a Swoop flight in early November because onboard staff claimed her son was too “violent.”
Andrea Iavarone told Global News that her son Nicco is autistic and has a rare disorder called chromosome 12Q deletion.
The mother-son duo and one of Andrea’s friends were on a morning flight on Nov. 1 from Hamilton to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
That’s when Nicco started acting out, Andrea said, hitting, yelling and pulling her hair.
Two Swoop staff members then approached her and told her that “Nicco’s not going to be flying with them today.”
In a statement to Global News, Swoop said it “…is entrusted to ensure the safety and security of all its travellers and employees, and has established policies to meet this obligation.”
City of Hamilton admits Chedoke Creek was flooded with sewage for 4.5 years
In late November, the City of Hamilton revealed details of a 24-billion-litre sewage spill that first began in January 2014, according to a press release.
An investigation determined that a bypass gate in the sewer overflow tank that should have been closed was open on Jan. 28, 2014. The open gate was noticed and closed July 18, 2018, resulting in a flow of discharge into the river and neighbouring Cootes Paradise for a period of four and a half years.
Tys Theijsmeijer, head of natural areas for the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, said the spill from Chedoke Creek was like an “eraser” that put a restoration plan for nearby wetlands and a 600-hectare wildlife sanctuary “back to ground zero.”
The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks confirmed to Global News that it was made aware of the problem in July 2018 and said it is continuing to investigate the incident as well as advising the city on the remediation of the creek.
The province issued orders requiring Hamilton councillors to come up with a plan for the remediation and future monitoring of Chedoke Creek.
The orders from the ministry also asked the city to submit a complete evaluation of the impact of four years of sewage leaking into the creek and neighbouring Cootes Paradise.
Hamilton’s mayor, Fred Eisenberger, and the city issued a public apology to residents and also released 10 documents that had previously been withheld.
Teen charged with assault, threats after standoff with Hamilton police
Hamilton police arrested a 16-year-old in early December after a toddler was seriously injured inside a home in the city’s southeast mountain area.
Police and paramedics were called to a home near Rymal and Trinity Church roads at around 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4 for reports that a child was injured.
Paramedics said a 22-month-old girl was found suffering from “traumatic injuries” that were serious but non-life-threatening.
Investigators said they then found the teenage boy barricaded inside of the home, prompting a lengthy standoff.
At around 10:30 a.m., police said officers had breached the home. Police said the teenager was removed from the residence and taken to hospital for examination shortly before noon.
Const. Jerome Stewart told Global News the charges against the teen include aggravated assault, assault, uttering death threats, two counts of assault with a weapon, breaching a court order (from an unrelated incident) and injuring an animal.
The teen will face a judge on Jan. 2, 2020.
Arrests made in alleged ‘high-end’ auto theft ring in Hamilton, police say
Hamilton police charged four people in early December in connection with what they say was an auto theft ring that operated out of the city for a number of years with the intent of exporting high-end vehicles overseas.
Detectives say they began the Project Seagull probe in August, tracking a Hamilton man they believe was involved in the theft of 39 vehicles — including Audis, Mercedes, Land Rovers and Infinity vehicles — worth over $1.6 million.
Police say they raided six Hamilton auto sales businesses — three in Central Hamilton and three in the east end — as well as three residences connected to the alleged crime ring. According to police, stolen vehicles were seized, along with numerous vehicle parts, cash, gold jewellery, car key fobs and stolen Mexican passports, among other items.
Ontario government cancels Hamilton LRT project
Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation cancelled Hamilton’s 17-stop light-rail transit project on Dec.16.
The reversal came after Premier Doug Ford’s government promised to move ahead with the transit project during the 2018 election.
Transport Minister Caroline Mulroney told reporters based on a third-party study the true estimated cost of the project was in the neighbourhood of $5.5 billion, significantly higher than the projected $1 billion laid out by the Kathleen Wynne-led Liberal government years earlier.
Mulroney said the province simply could “not afford” the $5.5-billion price tag.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger said the project’s cancellation is a “betrayal” of his city.
“The single largest climate change initiative and investment in the city that would generate more affordable housing and more density and improve public transportation has now been set aside based on estimates, which I think is outrageous,” the mayor said.
Boy saves friend from drowning in icy Lake Ontario water
Best friends Alex Neto and Lucas Snelling had a close call in the icy waters of Hamilton Harbour on Dec. 20 when the pair ventured out on the docks near the Hamilton Bay Sailing Club around 4:30 p.m. and Lucas fell into the water.
“He’s way heavier than me. So I tried to pick him up, but I can’t. So I keep holding him,” said Neto. “I help him break … I start punching the ice. I’m still grabbing him with the one hand I’m bringing him up to the shallow end, ’cause I can’t pick him up.”
Fortunately, just minutes later, a pair of Hamilton police officers on patrol spotted the boys and assisted in pulling Lucas out of the water.
Const. Ben Rushton says “it’s natural” for kids to go exploring but adds it’s important that parents have a conversation about being near large bodies of water, especially during winter.
“Hypothermia becomes an issue rather quickly, and you lose your ability to have your gross motor skills. So it’s fortunate for him (Lucas) his friend was there, and you heard him say he wasn’t going to let him go.”
— With files from the Canadian Press and Global News’ Kamil Karamali, Morganne Campbell and Mark Carcasole
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