Spec Online

Hot debate about climate

An opinion piece in today's Hamilton Spectator says that the views of climate change skeptics are not being fairly reported upon. Read the full article here. "The soul of science is to hypothesize, test, challenge, debate honestly and objectively. This, unhappily, has not been the history of the global warming controversy," the article by Frank Gue concludes. Are the views of climate change skeptics being suppressed?

Environmental cleanup not required in city sales

Three properties loaded with potentially toxic waste barrels are just some of the sites the city has sold off cheaply for tax arrears without requiring that the land is subsequently cleaned up.

"You have to be careful," said Rob Rossini, the city's general manager of finance. "We're not the Ministry of the Environment. We are the municipal property tax collectors."

But the city could only "suggest" remedies or offer incentives for cleanup, not require new owners to take specific action, said Larry Friday, director of taxation.

"We weren't forcing people to do a full environmental cleanup," he said.

Tiger catalyst

Have events around the stadium issue stirred more interest in municipal affairs in Hamilton? Does this period compare to another era of big decision-making? Do you find you have more or less opinions about city topics and politics today than you did a year ago? Read all the stories in the The Great Stadium Debate.