Metrolinx has not yet revealed whether a chimney housing a rare bird species will become a permanent fixture amid the construction of Hamilton’s LRT.
A spokesperson said in an email to Global News the Ontario transit agency “will be monitoring the chimney over the coming months and determine next steps.”
“Since acquiring the property, we have found both physical evidence of habitation in the chimney and made visual observation of a Chimney Swift entering,” they said.
The corporation conducts ‘species at risk’ surveys prior to any construction to identify potential risks to individuals or habitats.
It’s expected the chimney’s location will not impact work when the construction phase starts, according to Metrolinx.
The first social media post on the structure at King Street East and Holton Avenue was Wednesday, when the transit entity said “we adapted our plans, and the building’s chimney is now being retained and stabilized.”
The agency revealed in an email to Global News in March that a vacant building at King and Holden, a rental apartment purchased in 2018, was undergoing demolition.
According to a manager with the Hamilton Community Benefits Network, the non-profit formed to address community opportunities around the light rail project, the Metrolinx action has some Hamiltonians scratching their heads.
Karl Andrus told 900 CHML’s Good Morning Hamilton it seems strange to him that the bird species is “being protected from demolition,” but approximately 150 people displaced along the LRT corridor are not.
“We have a commitment to protect our bird species, but none around affordable housing or what the government or Metrolinx intends to do with the land that they’ve procured … with our public dollars,” Andrus said.
“There is no commitment towards building affordable housing at this point.”
Metrolinx began demolitions along King Street East for the 17-stop LRT in late 2020 after the line’s cancellation was rescinded amid a $3.4-billion agreement between Ontario and the federal government to cover the project’s costs.
Discussions with landowners regarding the purchase of other properties needed to build the LRT have been ongoing, according to an email from Metrolinx.
“There are certainly more demolitions to come and we will have a more definitive number as the project’s design advances,” the media relations team said.
“We will provide updates on the procurement and construction processes when they become available.”
Metrolinx is expected to provide an update on construction to the city’s LRT subcommittee at a meeting on May 26.