A self-acclaimed, non-partisan Christian think-tank is a step closer to moving its offices into a historic stone mansion on Hamilton’s mountain brow.
Hamilton City Council voted 11-2 during this week’s general issues committee to enter into a lease agreement with Cardus pending approval from the Ontario Heritage Trust (OHT) with respect to “intensity of use” and an “adaptive reuse” plan.
The estate, located at 1 Balfour Drive just northwest of Garth Street and Fennel Avenue West, is currently owned by the OHT and managed by the city of Hamilton.
Under terms of the conditional lease, Cardus would be responsible for capital costs, and frequent free public access to the house itself on special occasions and ongoing free public access to the grounds.
“Cardus will give Chedoke, will give Balfour for new life,” said Cardus president Michael Van Pelt told councillors.
“That property needs to be loved and we will do it and the city of Hamilton will be proud as a result.”
The agreement follows a city council vote in September 2019 which advanced negotiations with Cardus, who detailed a proposal for use of the 24-room estate.
That estate currently stands vacant and needs more than a million dollars in repairs.
Not everyone is on board with Cardus taking over the historic mansion, however, as Wednesday’s committee meeting also heard from some detractors voicing concerns about the company’s equality issues.
A letter from resident Robert Brosius described some of the culture he’s seen at Cardus homophobic and racist. He went on to say he was against Cardus and their proposal.
Prior to the meeting, community activist and city heritage enthusiast Graham Crawford resoundingly pleaded for councillors to vote no to partnering with Cardus on social media, as well as in an op-ed piece he co-authored in a number of publications including the Hamilton Spectator.
Crawford told Global News that the issue needs to be more about “just fixing up a house” and more about the “moral side” of finding a partner for the Balfour.
“No one is claiming that Cardus is doing anything illegal,” said Crawford.
“We are claiming, though, that Cardus is doing stuff that is socially reprehensible. There’s a big difference, and that’s why the decision is a complex one.”
In September, two councillors, Nrinder Nann (Ward 3) and Maureen Wilson (Ward 1), voted against pursuing an agreement with Cardus, saying residents reached out with concerns about the organization’s views on certain equity issues.
Nann, after a review of articles published on Cardus’ website, agreed that some articles “undeniably espouse some viewpoints that could limit the perception of a woman’s right to reproductive health and choice,” “diminish the humanity of our two-spirit and LGBTQ+ residents” and could be seen as “anti-union and climate change denying.”
On Wednesday, Nann and Wilson held steady on the views voting against a lease deal with Cardus.
However, the bulk of the councillors went ahead and approved the lease, contingent on clearance from the OHT.
Ward 9 Coun. Brad Clark, acknowledged that he was aware of some questionable material on the Cardus website, but said a no vote based on alleged homophobic, Islamophobic and transphobic values could open up the city to a discrimination lawsuit.
Ward 14 councillor Terry Whitehead had a similar view, saying that heading down an exclusionary path based on religious values potentially excludes doing business with most of the population.
“It concerns me. I said that earlier, this isn’t how we should be doing business. We’re supposed to be building bridges, not tearing them apart,” said Whitehead.
The next step for Cardus to acquire a lease agreement with the city is to engage The OHT and agree to a reuse plan for the site. The talks are estimated to last about three months, according to the city.