Editor’s Note: Corrections have been made to this post since its original publishing on June 29, 2023. The updates include the sale of Delta Secondary School in 2022, one of the elementary schools involved in consolidation was Hess Secondary, and that the HWDSB is looking to fully demolish John A. MacDonald Secondary, not partially demolish it.
The chair of Hamilton’s public school board says an empty school in the core isn’t a site those experiencing homelessness in the city could “walk in and use” due to damage making it unsafe.
Dawn Danko says ideas have been pitched to the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) by numerous groups and residents over the years suggesting how an empty John A MacDonald Secondary on York Boulevard could factor in alleviating the city’s homelessness problem.
“It would actually be quite a bit of remediation that would have to happen,” Danko explained.
“When we discussed that with the city and with other partners in the past, the idea of investing a significant amount of money to remediate a site for temporary use really wasn’t feasible.”
The board has pursued, four times with the Ministry of Education, creation of a community hub providing space for city partners like Hamilton Health Sciences, the Hamilton Community Foundation, Hamilton East Kiwanis Non-Profit Homes Inc. and YMCA of Hamilton, Burlington and Brantford.
However, it’s failed to be approved each time.
“Unfortunately, the ministry at the time did not approve that proposal,” Danko recalls.
“Then we had a change in government and we haven’t had approval since, despite repeated requests to have that project approved. So that’s part of the reason the site’s been sitting empty.”
She says the board also had a dialogue with the Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters (HATS) to use the space as a transitional shelter and support site. However, the high cost of remediation also mothballed that concept.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had some damage to the building, so there’s some structural issues,” Danko said.
“We’ve also had some water damage, and that’s led to, unfortunately, a mold issue. So the site isn’t something that you could walk in and use.”
She went on to say that any such deal would also require a lease agreement with insurance and assurances there would be no illegal activity, a police protocol and constant wraparound support.
A future relocation date for shelters would also have to be in a contract since the land use would be “very temporary.”
The structure was specifically addressed by several residents at a public consultation on homelessness at the convention centre Tuesday as a potential solution to eliminate some 100 unwanted encampments across the city.
As was Delta Secondary School that’s been shuttered since a consolidation in 2019 and was sold in 2022 to New Horizon Developments.
Hamilton’s housing director, Michelle Baird, told attendees the city looked at those options with the HWDSB and was advised by the board that they were not “in a condition that’s appropriate.”
“We are looking at those kinds of things as well as what other vacant or unused sites that might exist in the city,” Baird said.
“So (we’re) looking at all of those options and where we can locate them, including potentially, the project to put some tiny shelters in place. So none of those options are off the table.”
Global News reached out to the Ministry of Education seeking comment on past requests by the HWDSB to remediate Sir John A MacDonald for alternate use.
A spokesperson didn’t directly address the site in a response but did say The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act , passed by the Ford government in June, does have a framework to identify “excess property” and “better leverage surplus” for provincial priorities, including affordable housing.
Danko says she can’t speak for the ministry but the current HWDSB “vision” is for full demolition of the site to create a new elementary school allowing for consolidation of Strathcona Elementary and Hess Street Elementary.
“Those are two sites that have very limited access to greenspace, they’re older buildings, and so it would be an opportunity to provide a much higher quality building, but also greenspace for students.”
Hamilton politicians ask province to keep Sir John A. Macdonald school for 'community needs'
Three Hamilton politicians sent a letter to the province in early July seeking “support” and “funding” to keep the Sir John A. Macdonald (SJAM) Secondary School site and save it from demolition.
Hamilton Centre member of provincial parliament Sarah Jama, Ward 2 coun. Cameron Kroetsch and Ward 2 public school board trustee Sabreina Dahab asked the Ministry of Education to come to the table and provide “real funding options” to keep the school “rooted in what the community needs.”
“We do not want to see it lost to the growing entertainment district or to support a condo that working people can’t afford,” the letter said.
Danko says the site has not been deemed “surplus” and is not up for sale making the insinuation that it could be a part of an entertainment district expansion false.
She went on to say it’s not known when there will be an opportunity to get approval for the new elementary school suggesting capital proposals made to the ministry take time.
“When they approve new elementary school sites, they do provide funding for that. So that is part of the reason it does take time,” Danko explained.
“They have a lot of requests across the province as we experience changes in our population and growth in different cities, so it’s understandable that it’s not something that we can expect or count on in any given year.”