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CBC
a day ago
- Politics
- CBC
Cambridge mayor takes aim at councillor she says is spreading 'false information' over encampment motion
Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett says any accusations she kept a notice of motion regarding the clearing of encampments off a recent city council agenda is "false" and a "misrepresentation of what happened." In a Facebook reel video posted last week to the page called Office of the Mayor — City of Cambridge, Liggett says she wanted to "correct the false information swirling around in social media as well as online and in print media." In the video, she also accused Coun. Scott Hamilton of making comments to the media that are "disingenuous at best, coming dangerously close to political opportunism." "We should always, in our roles as members of elected body, be striving to do what is best for the community, not about placating our echo chambers of supporters," Liggett said. The issue started on July 4, when federal housing advocate Marie-Josée Houle wrote a letter to council over concerns the city was allowing encampments of people experiencing homelessness to be cleared during the hottest days of the summer. This letter prompted Hamilton and Coun. Ross Earnshaw to put forward a motion to the city's clerk to ask the city to pause clearing encampments during heat events, and they asked for a notice of motion to be added to a city council meeting agenda on July 22. Initially, Hamilton says he and Earnshaw, who was going to second the motion, wanted a full pause on forced removals during extreme weather. They changed the motion after advice from staff and the amended motion asked for a staff report instead looking into the matter. The motion would have asked staff "to report back on prevention of forced removals of unhoused persons during extreme weather events upon the issuance of a warning, an alert, or during the occurrence of, an extreme weather event as determined by Environment and Climate Change Canada." Hamilton told CBC News he wanted to see the report from staff come back later this year. But Hamilton says the notice of motion never made it onto the July 22 city council meeting's agenda. Hamilton says he was told by city staff that the notice of motion was "delayed" from being put on a council agenda at the mayor's request so that staff could provide more information to councillors. Hamilton has told other media that is what happened, but Liggett charged in her video that his comments were "a total misrepresentation of what happened." Concerns about 'compromised legal position': Mayor A notice of motion usually means that a councillor wants to let other members of council know they want to discuss and vote on a certain issue at a later date. In some cases, councillors can vote to discuss the issue right away. "When I was informed of the potential, and I repeat the potential of a notice of motion, I directed our legal and clerks departments to provide information and advice to all council prior to the notice being placed on the floor," Liggett said. "It is not enough for councillors Hamilton and Earnshaw to have the advantage and the privilege of information or staff advice and not all of the rest of council. This would or could have put council in a compromised legal position." In her video, Liggett says if council had voted to discuss the issue right away, some members of council would have been at a disadvantage because they wouldn't be privy to the staff and legal advice Hamilton and Earnshaw had already sought out. Hamilton said he had already told the city clerk that he had no intention of going beyond providing a notice of motion at that meeting, knowing council was about to go on a summer break. He said it was his expectation that the motion would be on the Sept. 2 council agenda, more than 40 days later and with plenty of time for councillors and the public to learn about it and be able to attend the meeting if they wanted to speak to it. 'All I have said was what happened' Hamilton, who is on vacation and who said Friday evening he has watched the video once, rejects the mayor's comments that he's said anything inappropriate to media. "I have never thrown any shade or made any accusations," he said. He said he only spoke to the media when they contacted him. "I never tried to say anything that was accusatory or untrue. I told the truth and I stated what happened and I stated the order in which those events happened and what staff had said to me in emails about why the motion didn't come forward on [July] 22," he said. "It's my responsibility, I think, as a councillor to just be cool-headed and think critically about complex issues to move the city forward." Return to issue of encampments: Coun. Earnshaw Earnshaw, who is in Ottawa for the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, said in an email to CBC News that the debate over what happened to the motion is overshadowing the real issue he'd like to see addressed. "The controversy regarding procedural issues and the extent of authority of the mayor have distracted from the underlying concern about humane treatment of unhoused individuals during extreme weather events," he wrote. "I'd like to see the focus return to the issues that originally prompted Coun. Hamilton to put forward his motion and for me to propose to second it." In an interview Friday, Hamilton told CBC News he, too, just wants to get back to talking about how to best help people in encampments. "I think we have to remember the motion is just calling for a report on how we can help the city and how we can help some of our most vulnerable residents and we need to return to the issue," he said. Currently, Hamilton says there is still no specific date for his notice of motion to go before council. "I think it's an opportunity for Cambridge to become a real leader in this because it's my understanding that many municipalities don't actually have a lot of these bylaws in place because encampments are new, on the one hand, as is increased incidences of extreme weather. And right now, they're intersecting in this extremely challenging, complex situation," he said. "As the housing crisis increases and exacerbates, as we're seeing more extreme heat days, I think we're going to be seeing these issues more and more. So now I think it's time we have to come together as a council and as a city to learn more and to address it. Because the crisis isn't going away. We're going have to start tackling it bit by bit and the intention of this motion was just to have a start."
CTV News
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Renfrew County's tasty celebration
Taste of the Valley celebrates all things grown, made and created within Renfrew County. Scott Hamilton shares what's in store for this year's event.
CBC
13-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
'It will kill life': Cambridge councillor urging city to curb road salt use
A Cambridge councillor is hoping to reduce the amount of road salt used by the city, saying overuse could contaminate groundwater and "kill life." "I mean if you add enough salt to anything, it will kill life," Ward 7 Coun. Scott Hamilton said. He is speaking in front of city council on Tuesday to present a notice of motion that urges the city of Cambridge – and ultimately the province of Ontario – to tackle the problem of road salt. This comes a week after Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe presented a similar notice of motion during a regional council meeting. Hamilton said the "spirit of this motion is to ask the province," as they have the jurisdictional authority to do significant change. Hamilton says Cambridge uses 5,856 tons of salt per year. With salt registered as a "toxic substance" under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, he said there is inherent danger in its overuse. Several studies support Hamilton's claim. Ottawa Riverkeeper, a non-profit based in Ottawa that advocates for sustainable use of the Ottawa River, found in a study they published in January that among water samples taken from streams across the National Capital Region, " the vast majority were toxic to wildlife due to road salt levels." The five-year study, which started in the winter of 2019-2020, found that only 10 per cent of 500 water samples had safe levels of chloride. Chloride is a "key component" of road salt, the report explained. In a separate study, Taryn Smit, an ecologist volunteering with the Canadian Conservation Corps, explained that too much salt can make living organisms "become sick or die." "Think about if you have not had enough water and now you're starting to get headaches, feel sick and dehydrated." she explained. "The same kind of process will happen with anything that lives in the stream of the river because there's salt in the water." Hamilton said this is why he hopes to see changes on the provincial level. "Whether you're in Guelph, Preston, Hespeler, Blair, you're affected all the same by the quality of our drinking water," he said. Waterloo mayor presented a similar motion Last Tuesday, Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe presented a notice of motion at regional council that also deals with salt pollution. Joe Salemi, the executive director of Landscape Ontario, was one of the delegates who spoke to council about the motion. Salemi urged the Ontario governmet to develop limited liability legislation, create and fund an expert stakeholder advisory committee, and send the resolution to all municipalities. At that meeting, North Dumfries Mayor Sue Foxton expressed concern about the limited liability legislation. "When you waive the right to lay the liability on someone, you're giving up your rights," Foxton said. "You're also allowing people to be negligent." Hamilton said he hopes Cambridge will support his motion in May when he outlines similar steps to deal with the over salting problem in that city and the province as a whole. Similar to McCabe's motion, Hamilton will bring up the development of a limited liability legislation, a public awareness campaign about best salt practices, the creation of an "expert stakeholder advisory committee" that would advise the province about the best courses of action, and a review of bylaws to support further reductions in salt use. Hamilton says he hopes the public will see his motion in a positive light, explaining that his motion is meant to be "ultimately for our own benefit." "If we have toxic drinking water, if levels of sodium chloride in our water are at unhealthy levels and it's at the point where it's killing off our ecosystems, our plants, in our lakes and our rivers, I think ultimately this [plan] is definitely a net positive," he explained. "The majority of the public would understand that."
Business Upturn
08-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
OLYMPIC LEGEND SCOTT HAMILTON TO HEADLINE AT ORIGENCE'S LENDING TECH LIVE ‘25
By GlobeNewswire Published on May 8, 2025, 16:00 IST Irvine, California, May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Origence, a leading provider of lending technology solutions, announced Olympic icon Scott Hamilton as a keynote speaker for its Lending Tech Live '25 conference, scheduled for June 16–18, 2025, at the Omni Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. Hamilton captured the world's attention with his Olympic gold medal performances in Sarajevo in 1984, and he continues to be the world's most recognized figure skater. His achievements extend far beyond the rink, including an Emmy nomination, a bestselling author, a humanitarian, and the founder of the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation. As a cancer survivor, his global fight against cancer inspires countless individuals to face life's challenges with courage and optimism. Hamilton's session 'Undefeated: Rising above every challenge' will inspire audiences by sharing his journey of resilience, perseverance, and triumph. With humor, authenticity, and passion, he encourages others to view challenges as opportunities for growth and to use their stories to inspire and uplift those around them. This session serves as a powerful reminder that with determination and gratitude, it's possible to rise above any obstacle in life, work, or leadership and remain undefeated. Erika Hill, VP of marketing at Origence, expressed her excitement about Scott Hamilton's participation: 'We are honored to have Scott Hamilton join us at Lending Tech Live 2025. His remarkable journey and dedication to making a positive impact resonate deeply with our mission at Origence and the credit union community nationwide. His insights and experiences will inspire and motivate our attendees to strive for excellence in their endeavors.' As the premier credit union lending technology event, Lending Tech Live offers opportunities for professional growth through insightful sessions and networking with key industry leaders. Attendees learn about the latest trends and innovations shaping the future of lending, while hearing from experts on strategies, emerging trends, best practices, and groundbreaking technology. To learn more about the conference, visit the Lending Tech Live website. About Origence Origence provides lending technology solutions credit unions need to advance their total origination experience. We were established in 1994 as a credit union service organization (CUSO) and have helped thousands of credit unions process more than 97 million applications, including 8.6 million applications in 2024. Our solutions include indirect lending, loan and account origination, auto shopping, marketing automation, lending operations, and more. Learn more at and follow us on X and LinkedIn. Attachment Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
The Spinoff
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
New Zealand's role in the mass deportation of Koreans from post-WWII Japan
The violent deportation of migrants is not new, and New Zealand forces had a hand in such a regime after World War II, writes historian Scott Hamilton. The world is watching the new Trump government wage a war against migrants it deems illegal. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials and police have dragged migrants from homes and streets and put them onto planes or into camps. Many have been denied due process. Seventy-nine years ago another American administration began a deportation programme, sending away tens of thousands of desperate migrants. But it was New Zealanders, not Americans, who were charged with hunting down and deporting them. From 1946 to 1948, New Zealand soldiers and pilots were stationed in Japan's Yamaguchi prefecture, at the southwest edge of Honshu Island. They were part of a Commonwealth force that also included Australians, Indians and Britons. Anxious to assert its relevance in the postwar Pacific, Britain had insisted that these forces share the job with Americans of occupying a defeated Japan. New Zealand's 'Jayforce' consisted of 4,000 servicemen and a few dozen nurses. Most of them came from the army, but there were also 25 pilots and 250 air force support staff. Only narrow waters separate southwest Honshu from the large Korean port of Pusan, and the New Zealanders were quickly confronted by thousands of Koreans crossing the gap. Japan seized Korea in 1910. Because they were subjects of the emperor, Koreans were considered Japanese nationals, and in the 1920s and 30s, hundreds of thousands were recruited to work in the imperial homeland. Although they faced discrimination, and could usually only secure low-paying jobs, they were free to move back and forth between Korea and Japan. The pre-war migrants had come willingly, but after Pearl Harbour, Japan became desperate for labour, and took slaves from Korea to mine coal and build weapons. When Japan surrendered in 1945, it was hosting two and a half million Koreans. Many quickly repatriated themselves, commandeering ships from Honshu ports. But 600,000 Koreans opted to remain in Japan. Soon they were being joined by refugees from a hungry and violent Korea. The Americans made their general Douglas MacArthur supreme ruler of postwar Japan and the southern half of Korea. In Japan, MacArthur established his own administration but retained national and local Japanese governments, getting them to implement his policies. After MacArthur declared the end of the Japanese Empire and the independence of Korea, both American and Japanese administrators expected Koreans in Japan to leave. For many Japanese Koreans, though, Japan had been home for decades. They had families, homes, and jobs or businesses in Japan. For the defeated and humiliated Japanese, Koreans were a reminder of the empire they had lost. For MacArthur and his administration, Koreans were potential allies of the communist forces that already controlled the north of the peninsula. American hostility increased after South Koreans launched the Daegung Uprising against MacArthur's rule in 1946. Demanding self-government, the Koreans staged a general strike and attacked US soldiers. The uprising simultaneously increased American suspicions about Koreans and sent refugees fleeing for the supposed safety of Japan. MacArthur gave the job of overseeing the deportation strategy to Nicholas Collaer, who had worked for the US Border Patrol before running internment camps for Japanese Americans during World War II. Collaer was a xenophobe. In a 1949 article about his career, he called the US frontier with Mexico 'ten thousand miles of trouble', where a 'human coyote' lurked. Collaer helped craft Japan's Alien Registration Ordinance, which was modelled on wartime American legislation and required Koreans to register with authorities and carry special identity cards proclaiming their status as 'aliens'. Koreans in Japan were banned from voting in the first postwar elections, and an American decree closed the ports of Japan. When New Zealanders arrived in southwestern Honshu in 1946, they were immediately tasked with deporting Koreans and intercepting Korean ships headed for Japan. Ninety New Zealand troops were put in charge of Senzaki Repatriation Camp, a prison made from barbed wire and sheds on the waterfront of the port town of Kure. New Zealand pilots worked with the Indian navy to try to intercept and force back vessels making the journey from Pusan to Honshu. Most of these boats were powered only by sails; migrants packed their decks and crammed their small holds. In her history of New Zealand's air force, Margaret McClure describes 'Corsairs with six machine guns swooping just a wingspan above the water' as they hunted for Koreans. Pilots 'buzzed' the small migrant ships, trying to frighten them into reversing course. Ships that continued towards Japan were stopped, boarded, and towed into port. Their occupants were sent to Senzaki. Photographs by New Zealanders show them leading long lines of Korean deportees from Senzaki camp to waiting American ships. Even the youngest and smallest migrants carry loads of belongings on their backs. Some deportees refused to go easily. In August 1946, New Zealand troops had to travel as guards on one huge ship taking 2,500 deportees to Korea. Reports in New Zealand papers explained that 'mutinous' Koreans had threatened to take over the ship and turn it around. Under New Zealand's watch, conditions in Senzaki Repatriation Camp quickly deteriorated. In 1946 the camp's population soared from 600 to more than 3,000. Food ran out, and the camp's sheds were crammed with bodies. In the winter of 1946-47, cholera spread through Senzaki. Deportation became a death sentence for some of the camp's captives. The Trump administration claims illegal migrants come to rob Americans and spread diseases, but aid workers insist that most of them are motivated by poverty and desperation. The same was true for the Korean migrants who poured into New Zealand-occupied Japan. Commonwealth forces hired a Japanese Korean man named Cho Rinsik to interview the migrants and discover why they'd fled Korea. In his report, Rinsik that '80%' of them had 'come to Japan on account of hard living and to procure food'. Rinsik said that better-off migrants wanted to recover 'real estate, property, or savings in Japan'. Koreans leaving Japan, whether voluntarily or compulsorily, could take with them only the paltry sum of 1,000 yen. A photograph in the Turnbull library shows a young Korean man tearing his hair in anger as a Japanese official confiscates a pile of banknotes from him. The man had been carrying 14,000 yen; he lost 13,000. Two New Zealand soldiers with rifles stand watching the confiscation. Trump claims that migrants bring diseases and crime into America; media outlets like Fox News eagerly echo him. The same charges were made against Koreans in Japan by the American administration, and by newspapers in New Zealand. In October 1946, the Otago Daily Times claimed that Koreans were 'spreading epidemics' in Japan and were behind 'black market operations'. The Evening Star printed a disturbing photograph by a New Zealander showing a Korean mother and her small daughter being sprayed with the toxic chemical DDT at Senzaki camp. A caption by the photographer explained that they were being 'deloused' under 'New Zealand supervision'. In 2025, communities threatened by deportation have organised and protested against Trump's government. Californians cities have seen large anti-deportation marches. Koreans in Japan also organised and protested. In 1946, a League of Koreans was formed and spread through Japan, opening 300 branches in a few months. The League published a newspaper, opened Korean-language schools, and marched to demand equal rights. When American and Japanese administrators banned Korean schools, the League staged huge protests. Photographs taken by New Zealand servicemen show crowds of Koreans protesting in southwest Honshu. Marchers carry Korean flags, and placards demanding the right to stay in Japan. In the city of Kobe, a march turned into a riot, as Koreans stormed a local government office and briefly held officials hostage. MacArthur responded by declaring a state of emergency and arresting thousands of Koreans. In postwar Japan, the American administration used deportation as a way of punishing political dissent. In 1947, lieutenant-general John Hodge sent an official complaint to MacArthur about the number of Japanese Koreans being deported. Hodge claimed that the occupiers were deporting not just recent arrivals from Korea but 'troublesome nationals' – Koreans who had lived in Japan for many years but who had protested American policies. Elizabeth Ryan, who was a court reporter in Kobe, wrote that American authorities had issued orders to 'arrest every last Korean' after the riot in that city in 1948. In the same year, Douglas Jenkins, the US Consul in Kobe, had estimated that there were '60 to 80 thousand Koreans in Kobe', and called them 'a low type' and 'an alien group'. In May 1947 a blaze destroyed the barracks of the New Zealand troops who ran Senzaki camp. It was the sixth suspicious fire at a New Zealand facility in six months. Some of the New Zealand troops suspected their work was being sabotaged. When questioned about the fires in parliament, defence minister Fred Jones said he was not sure whether they were deliberately lit or not. New Zealand's struggle with Korean migrants was reported extensively in our newspapers, but it has receded from memory, and has rarely been discussed by historians. In 2021, an article in NZ Army News remembered the mission to Japan, and mentioned that our troops deported 'illegal migrants'. The tragedy is that those migrants only became illegal after the surrender of Japan and its occupation by the Allies. The end of World War II was supposed to bring peace and a better life in Japan, but for Japanese Koreans it meant becoming aliens in the country they had made home.
