Brad Clark Report

Nominations are now open for the Senior of the Year Awards, an annual City of Hamilton initiative that honours seniors who voluntarily contribute their time, talents, and leadership to strengthen our community.

Through this initiative, we aim to celebrate and recognize the achievements, dedication, and meaningful contributions of seniors aged 65 years and older who enrich our city’s social, cultural, and civic life.

Nominations are open from April 28 to June 30, and we are celebrating the 31st year of the Senior of the Year Awards.

Key Information

• Nominations open: April 28 to June 30, 2026
• Who is eligible: Seniors aged 65 and over who have made outstanding voluntary contributions to the community
• How to nominate:
  • Online nomination form
  • Printable PDF nomination form (submission instructions included on the form)
• Awards Ceremony: October 15, 2026, at Michelangelo Events and Conference Centre

Nomination packages are available online and in printed formats at Municipal Service Centres and Seniors Centres (Ancaster Senior Achievement Centre, Flamborough Seniors Centre, Sackville Hill Seniors Recreation Centre).

Nomination details are available be visiting www.hamilton.ca/SeniorsAwards.

What Are the Monarch Awards?

The Monarch Awards recognize gardeners who want their yards to do more than look beautiful — to provide habitat, support pollinators, nourish birds, and build biodiversity right in our neighbourhoods. Four levels of achievement are recognized: Good Start, Caterpillar, Chrysalis, and Monarch, with every level celebrated through certificates, garden signs, or plaques.

Supporting Hamilton’s Environmental Goals

The Monarch Awards align directly with two of Hamilton’s most important environmental commitments. The City’s Biodiversity Action Plan is a multi-partner, five-year plan of actions to protect, enhance, explore and restore biodiversity in Hamilton and ecological front yard gardens are a tangible, resident-driven contribution to exactly that goal. As the BAP recognizes, biodiversity is interconnected, and even the smallest spaces in a city can provide habitat and connections for local plants, insects and wildlife. At the same time, in 2019 the City of Hamilton declared a Climate Change Emergency and set a goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Ecological gardens support that commitment too — native plantings sequester carbon, manage stormwater, filter air, and reduce the need for energy-intensive lawn maintenance. Every Monarch Awards garden is a small but meaningful piece of Hamilton’s climate resilience.

Ecological Gardening Is a Journey

One of the things we love most about this program is that gardens at every stage of the journey are welcome to participate. The award levels are designed to honour progress, not perfection. Gardeners who have previously received a Good Start, Caterpillar, or Chrysalis award are encouraged to apply again as their garden evolves and grows — working their way along until they achieve the Monarch Award.

Who Is Eligible?

To apply, gardeners must rent or own a home within the municipality of Hamilton and have a front yard garden that supports nature. Applications are open to residents across all Hamilton wards, and we hope to see participation from every corner of the city.

Applications open May 15, 2026, at haltonmastergardeners.com/events/monarch-awards. The online application takes about 20 minutes. The Monarch Awards Team will make garden visits between July 13 – August 23 — gardeners do not need to be present.

The closing date for award applications is June 26th.

Recipients will be announced in September 2026, with presentations made at a final celebration in October.

The tree giveaway program is now open!

The City of Hamilton annually gives native shade trees or shrubs to residents to plant on their private property. You need to be a resident of the City of Hamilton to qualify, and you must plant the tree on your private property located in the City of Hamilton, preferably at the side or back of your home. Trees are approximately 1 metre tall.

Planting a native tree on your property improves air quality, fights climate change, and increases property value. 

Giveaway Details

• Two (2) trees per property. Pre-registration required.
• Must present driver’s license or property tax bill.
• Native shade trees and shrubs are available.
• Pick up your tree. Rain or shine.
• Homeowner is responsible to plant, water and maintain the private tree.
• Call or click before you dig – OntarioOneCall.ca

Pick Up Location Details

Pre-register and pick-up your tree or shrub at one of the pick-up locations:

Location: Mohawk College – Fennell Campus, Parking Lot P7 (135 Fennell Avenue West, Hamilton)
Date(s): 

• Thursday, April 30, 2026 from 4 pm to 8 pm
• Friday, May 1, 2026 from 4 pm to 8 pm
• Saturday, May 2, 2026 from 8 am to 12 noon

Location: Bayfront Park – Main Parking Lot (325 Bay Street North, Hamilton)
Date(s): 

• Thursday,  May 7, 2026 from 4 pm to 8 pm
• Friday, May 8, 2026 from 4 pm to 8 pm
• Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 8 am to 12 noon

Click here for more information and how to register

This 50/50 draw will help the Hamilton Conservation Foundation provide funding through grants for land acquisition, ecological programming, and conservation education programing etc. for the Hamilton Conservation Authority.

Buy your tickets today! Draw happens on June 22, 2026. You can scan the QR code below or click on this link to buy your tickets. Thank you for your support. https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/hamilton-conservation-foundation