Hamilton politicians divided on need for added security in city hall forecourt

Hamilton politicians are divided on the need for more security outside of city hall.

In a tie vote, 5-5, members of the public works committee voted not to spend $800,000 to install stainless steel poles around the forecourt.

That leaves a final decision on whether to install the removable bollards in the hands of city council when it meets next week.

A staff recommendation to include the cost of the bollards in the city’s 2021 budget dates back to the summer of 2019, when a supporter of the yellow vest movement drove a school bus into the forecourt during a rally.

Ward 3 Coun. Nrinder Nann says the action was clearly intended to “physically intimidate and evoke fear and terrorize.”

Nann voted in favour of the added security measure saying councillors need to send a message to residents that “their safety matters to us.”

East Mountain Coun. Tom Jackson disagrees, saying “yes, the summer of discontent happened in 2019, it wasn’t pleasant,” but he adds that it was one incident and “we’re not the U.S. of A.”

Ancaster Coun. Lloyd Ferguson adds that, “I hope we’re not at the point where we have to fortress our city hall and spend $800,000 doing it.”