I attended Hamilton’s first HiveX young professionals conference organized by Hamilton Hive back in October only because I was asked to support the conference by contributing my web and technical skills.

I figured it was going to be a junior Hamilton Economic Summit – a day of talk with no action and overpriced out of town speakers making their first visit to Hamilton other than driving over the Skyway on their way to a Bills game from Toronto.

What action could possibility result from a conference with the Chamber of Commerce as a sponsor?

It was no Hamilton Economic Summit, that’s for sure. I felt an energy in the room. The room itself was filled with numerous individuals who are making Hamilton better by their actions, not their words.

More importantly, it was a relaxed atmosphere with just enough seriousness to attract individuals who do not normally cross each other.

Many fruitful discussions happened in the hallways. The workshops led by Hamiltonian’s focused on specific challenges and suggested obtainable plans to addressing them.

I feel that achievements will flow from the conference.

I know many who are working hard every day – often without any financial rewards and enduring attacks against their character – to make Hamilton better who took a pass on this conference. I don’t blame them – I was going to take a pass on the conference.

Next year, I’ll be encouraging them to be at the conference. I’ll also be lobbying the conference organisers to pass on paid speakers to lower the cost of admission to the conference. $45 is steep for those working in the non-profit sector or engaged in community work.

Part of this will be encouraging my peers to register early so conference organisers can be confident of having the necessary revenue to hold the event.

A Twitter memorial to Canada’s war dead @WeAreTheDead tweeted its first fallen soldier from a Hamilton-based regiment.

Lt. Ian Hamilton Vaughan Wright (Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, R.C.I.C.). Aug. 19, 1942.

November 27, 2011 12:11 pm via We Are The DeadReplyRetweetFavorite

@WeAreTheDead

We Are The Dead

@WeAreTheDead is the creation of Glen McGregor of The Ottawa Citizen who requested the names of all Canada’s military and war fallen using Access to Information. The full story of how @WeAreTheDead was created is available here.

Who be the first soldier tweeted from a Hamilton Regiment

I’ve watched the account with interest awaiting the first soldier from a Hamilton regiment to appear. (Airmen and sailors are assigned to units that are not specific to a region which the men were drawn from.)

Would it be a member of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry or the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada?

When would the soldier have died? The Boer War, First World War, 1942, 1944, 1945, or during the occupation of Germany?

The most probable would be one of the 197 Rileys who lost their lives on the beaches of Dieppe in 1942 – the bloodiest day of the Second World War for Canada and the bloodiest day in Hamilton’s history.

Lt. Ian Hamilton Vaughan Wright of the RHLI

And so it was. Lt. Ian Hamilton Vaughan Wright of the RHLI who died on the beaches of Dieppe.

Lt. Wright was a graduate of Hamilton’s Hillfield Strathallan College where he’s name is listed among the school’s fallen. Lt. Wright’s fate was highlighted in reports back from England after the invasion.

The story of Lt. Wright and his family back home is similar to that of many other soldiers and their families in Hamilton following the Dieppe Raid.

Conflicting reports, families losing more than one son – the impact of Dieppe on 1942 Hamilton

The first reports were of a glorious raid against the Nazis. In the days, weeks, and months that followed; the city struggled to cope with the depth of the disaster and to determine who was dead, who was missing, and who was captured by the Germans to spend the rest of the war as a prisoner of war.

The Wright family had numerous sons serving overseas. Two of the Wright boys – Ian and his brother Gerald – participated in the raid as part of the RHLI landing parties. At one point, it appeared that both Ian and Gerald died at Dieppe – a fate that was not unknown in Hamilton with families losing numerous sons that day.

The initial reports were of Ian’s death and Gerald as missing presumed dead. (PDF of newspaper article from 1942) This was the first wire to Hamilton.

The second wire reported Ian as missing, raising the hopes of the family that he was not in fact dead.

The third wire confirmed Ian’s death. (PDF of newspaper article about Ian’s status from 1942)

It was soon learned that Gerald was captured by the Germans. (The Red Cross tracked prisoners on both sides of the European theatre)

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Edward Newman, RHLI veteran and Museum Curator

Last week, Edward Newman of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry regiment passed away at 91.

Ed, as I knew him, was a great curator of the regiment’s Dieppe history and knew the story of all the men that landed that day. I wish I still had the opportunity to ask him the story of Lt. Ian Wright.

I’ll make a pilgrimage to the RHLI Museum in the near future and learn more about Lt. Wright.

I strongly encourage you to take an opportunity to visit the Museum and to learn from it’s amazing collection of artifacts and materials from the storied history of my former regiment. Admission is free and the Museum is conveniently located on James Street North in Hamilton.

The following is the text of a press release issued by the City of Hamilton at 09:30 today.

For Immediate Release

Agreement clears path for Fifty Road commercial (Winona Wal-mart) and transit developments

Hamilton, ON – November 7, 2011 – An agreement that implements the City’s vision for the development of commercial lands in Winona has been reached and is expected to benefit both the City of Hamilton and local development partnership, Penady.  The agreement, approved by City Council, will allow for a commercial complex to be built on the site and will allow for the City to proceed with planning for the proposed transit hub that could accommodate future HSR and GO transit service. The City and Penady have completed discussions, looking at ways to work together on the development of property on the southwest corner at Fifty Road and South Service Road.

The proposed 443,000 square-foot commercial development can go ahead. The City will receive one acre of land, at no cost, for the proposed transportation hub. As well, Penady will withdraw a lawsuit against the City of Hamilton and Councillor Brenda Johnson, amend a severance application before the Ontario Municipal Board in accordance with the agreement with the City and, has already withdrawn a “bump-up” request on the GO Niagara Environmental Assessment.

Penady is pleased with this resolution which will result in a much needed development and transit hub proceeding and would like to acknowledge the integrity of Councillor Johnson and the City in reaching this resolution.
       
“At this time, we would like to thank Councillor Johnson and City staff for their vigilance in moving this resolution forward in the best interests of the community”, said Leger Xavier, Vice President, Development and Leasing, PenEquity Realty Corporation.

The City is expected to receive approximately $7 million in development charges for the property, in addition to annual tax revenues. The City’s contribution for infrastructure improvements to the South Service Road will be approximately $100,000.

At the recommendation of Councillor Johnson, Penady have donated $2,000 to the soon to be Winona Recreation Centre.

“The agreement helps meet Council’s vision of the area. This settlement allows the development to move forward in a way that meets the needs of the community which includes the transportation hub as originally planned”, said Councillor Brenda Johnson.

“Staff can now proceed with a fiscally responsible transit strategy that meets the short-term and long-term goals of the City”, added City Manager, Chris Murray.  “City ownership of property at the site will allow GO to develop a business case for service to Fifty Road, in addition to stops at Centennial Parkway and James Street North.”

Councillor Johnson stated, “I look forward to continuing to work with the Community Liaison Committee and Penady representatives to maintain a continued consultation with residents as the development proceeds.”

James and John Streets South will be returning to one-way traffic flow —- but it’s only temporary.

Due to road resurfacing, each street will be down to two lanes starting November 7. The City expects the road work to be complete by December 2nd.

From the City of Hamilton news release:

James Street South (Jackson Street to St. Joseph’s Drive)

·       Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in the southbound direction only
·       Northbound traffic movements from all side streets within the construction limits will not be permitted

John Street South (St. Joseph’s Drive to Augusta Street)

·       Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in the northbound direction only
·       Southbound traffic movements from all side streets within the construction limits will not be permitted

There will be no detours of HSR buses and passengers can expect delays due to the construction.