Author: lyndzeefreeman

Poor air quality impacts City services on Friday, July 17

Due to sustained poor air quality across the City of Hamilton, some City services, including waste collection and outdoor recreation programs, are being modified or cancelled on Friday, July 17. These decisions have been made out of an abundance of caution to protect the health and safety of residents and staff.

City waste collection status for Friday, July 17:

• Collection of waste (garbage, green bin and yard waste) as part of Friday collection routes in Wards 4, 5, 12 and 13 is cancelled. Residents are asked to bring their waste in from the curb or they can deliver to the City’s three Community Recycling Centres at no charge.
  
• Option 1: Bring your garbage, green bin, yard waste and bulk items back onto your property and place them back at the curb next Friday, July 24 for collection.
   To help residents manage an extra week of waste accumulation, the garbage limit on Friday, July 24 only will increase to three (3) bags or containers. The maximum weight remains 50 lbs (23 kg) per bag or container.
  
• Option 2: Deliver your waste to a Community Recycling Centre (locations) for no charge on Friday July 17 or Saturday July 18.
   Food waste must be packaged in a garbage bag. Residents are asked to separate recyclables from garbage and will be asked to confirm postal code to confirm waste collection day.

Community Recycling Centres are not open on Sundays.

• Waste collection (garbage, green bin and yard waste) is expected to proceed in Wards 6, 9 and 11 through the City’s contractor, GFL.
• GFL, the contractor for the transitioned Blue Box program, is expected to complete Blue Box collection in Wards 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12 and 13.
• Staff will be performing less physically strenuous cleanliness activities in the downtown core, such as emptying litter containers with the use of a mechanical tipper.

The following outdoor recreation programs, amenities and activities are closed or
cancelled on July 17:

• Supie programs
• Wading pools
• Outdoor pools
• Pier 8 Boat tours
• Pier 8 Trolley tours

Wild Waterworks will also be closed today due to the poor air quality.

The following recreation programs and services will be modified today:

• Camp Kidaca programs will take place mainly indoors
• Free Fitness at the Park will move indoors
• Additional open swims will be offered at indoor pools
  
  For an online list of indoor swimming offerings, please visit: Recreation Centres &
  Indoor Pools.

Golf courses will remain open. Junior Golf Camp is cancelled. Affected families will be contacted directly. Beverage cart service will not be available today. Refreshments will be available at clubhouses.

Reminder: Information for Thursday Collection Residents
If your regular collection day is Thursday and your waste was not picked up on July 16:

• Place your waste back at the curb next Thursday, July 23, for collection.
• To help residents manage an extra week of waste accumulation, the garbage
  limit on Thursday, July 23 only will increase to three (3) bags or containers.
• The maximum weight remains 50 lbs (23 kg) per bag or container.

Further service impacts will be communicated on the City’s website, social media or directly to affected user groups.

We understand these service disruptions are inconvenient and appreciate residents’ patience and understanding as we prioritize the health and safety of our staff and residents.

Due to the Air Quality Warning and out of an abundance of caution, the City of Hamilton will be temporarily closing outdoor pools until air quality conditions improve.

All outdoor pools have closed and will reopen once the air quality warning is lifted. Wading pools remain closed at this time.

The following recreation centres offer regularly scheduled drop-in indoor swimming:

• Ancaster Aquatic Centre
• Bennetto Community Centre
• Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre
• Central Memorial Recreation Centre
• Dalewood Recreation Centre
• Dominic Agostino Riverdale Community Centre
• Dundas Community Pool
• H.G. Brewster Pool
• Hill Park Recreation Centre
• Huntington Park Recreation Centre
• Kanétskare Recreation Centre
• Norman Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre
• Sir Allan MacNab Recreation Centre
• Sir Wilfrid Laurier Recreation Centre
• Sir Winston Churchill Recreation Centre
• Stoney Creek Recreation Centre
• Westmount Recreation Centre
  

For an online list of indoor swimming offerings, please visit: Recreation Centres & Indoor Pools

City of Hamilton staff will take appropriate precautions by moving outdoor activities indoors where possible or adjusting activities to reduce outdoor exposure.

Reduce your health risk from poor air quality wherever possible. Wildfire smoke contains fine particles that can be harmful to everyone, particularly young children, seniors, pregnant people, individuals with asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease (COPD) or heart disease, and people who work outdoors.

Wednesday, July 8th – Friday July 10th

Echo Valley entrance will be closed Wednesday morning and evening, all traffic to use Frist Rd entrance.
First Rd entrance will be closed Thursday morning and evening, all traffic to use Echo Valley entrance.
Friday morning may have traffic implications depending on any potential delays that may arise.

The park road will be paved and have speed cushions as well as proper drainage. 

Special thanks to Heritage Green Community Trust for the financial support of $275,000

In accordance with the Escarpment Access Closure Procedure (PW-P-026-003), please be advised of an upcoming planned partial closure on the Red Hill Valley Parkway to facilitate street sweeping operations.

To maximize the delivery of services while minimizing public impact, we will be utilizing a phased, rolling partial closure. Work will strictly target the paved shoulders, beginning with the outside shoulders before transitioning to the inside shoulders.

Closure Details

• Closure Type: Planned Partial Closure (Phased Rolling Shoulders)
• Dates: July 13, 14, 15, 16
• Time: 12:00am to 5:00am (overnight hours outside of peak morning commute)
• Location: Red Hill Valley Parkway – North and Southbound shoulders
• Work Scope: Street sweeping operations
• Equipment Fleet: 3 street sweepers, 1 water truck, 1 crash attenuator truck, and 1 sign truck

Traffic Control & Coordination

• Execution: Operations will be executed in two distinct phases:
  • Phase 1: Rolling closure targeting the outside shoulders. 
  • Phase 2: Rolling closure targeting the inside shoulders.
  • The closure will move sequentially, occupying the active work area only where the sweeping convoy is operating.
• Detour/Signage: Designated sign truck and portable variable message signs (PVMS) as required for mobile/short-duration operations to safely guide traffic around the sweeping convoy.

Please note this is weather dependent.

Please be advised of upcoming temporary lane occupancies on the New Mountain Road and McNeilly Road Escarpment Accesses for inspection work

Where: New Mountain Road, Loma Drive to Ridge Road (map) & McNeilly Road, Highway 8 to Ridge Road (map)

When: Friday, June 19^th, 2026, from 9 AM to 11 AM

Expect minor delays through this area during operations. Two-way traffic will be maintained with flagging.