Safari Road / Hyde-Rockton-Beverly Wetland Complex - Flamborough
May 13, 2026 update
Success!
The amendment (pictured below) to delay the Safari Road decision pending more information was ratified by a vote of 9-4 at Council on May 13! This means that the decision of whether or not to raise the road was deferred until a future date when Staff will report back to Council with more information on Option #2 - close the road. Thank you to the dozens of you who wrote an email to Council. The discussion started at 10:04 am and the video is here. The Clerk's computer malfunctioned at 11:52 so the votes aren't all visible so are listed below. Note that three Councillors were absent from this vote but were present at the Council meeting both before and immediately after it. Staff are expecting to report back to Public Works committee in the Fall of 2026 with more information on Option 2 - close the road.
YES - Mayor Andrea Horwath
YES - Ward 11 Councillor Mark Tadeson
YES - Ward 12 Councillor Craig Cassar
YES - Ward 13 Councillor Alex Wilson
YES - Ward 1 Councillor Maureen Wilson
YES - Ward 2 Councillor Cameron Kroetsch
YES - Ward 15 Councillor Ted McMeekin
YES - Ward 3 Councillor Nrinder Nann
YES - Ward 4 Councillor Tammy Hwang
NO - Ward 9 Councillor Brad Clark
NO - Ward 8 Councillor Rob Cooper
NO - Ward 6 Councillor Tom Jackson
NO - Ward 7 Councillor Esther Pauls
ABSENT - Ward 14 Councillor Mike Spadafora
ABSENT - Ward 10 Councillor Jeff Beattie
ABSENT - Ward 5 Councillor Matt Francis
May 9, 2026 update
Thanks in part to 30 emails sent to Councillors, the Public Works Committee voted 6-5 on May 4, 2026 to approve an amendment moved by Coun. Craig Cassarto defer a decision on Safari Road until a later date pending more information (amendment and vote count pictured). Bravo! Now we need Council to ratify the Public Works vote on May 13! Please send an email to Council by noon on Weds May 13, 2026. Talking points and contacts below.
Councillors have heard the environmental concerns loud and clear. Now they need to hear the fiscal argument. Please center your objections around the absurdity of spending between $8-10 million on 2km of submerged road while the rest of Hamilton crumbles.
Council Contacts are here
Indicate what ward you live in so your Councillor pays attention
Use your own words
Extra impact: include a photo of a sub-standard road near you that you believe deserves some of that $8-10 investment
Subject line: May 13 Council item 7.1
Talking points
Hamilton has a $5.2 billion total infrastructure deficit including approximately $100 million annually on just roads.
On average, the City spends approximately $3.5 million per year on repairing potholes, an unpopular short-term fix when real investment is needed in roads, sidewalks and bike lanes.
Only ten major road resurfacing and reconstruction projects are planned for 2026 due to funding shortfalls. The need is far greater with the City maintaining 6,500 lane kilometres of roads, along with sidewalks, bridges, street lighting, and related infrastructure.
Spending $8-10 million on a kilometer of submerged road that has been closed for years would be an irresponsible use of tax dollars when there are many other more pressing infrastructure priorities in the city.
The expected capital costs for Alternative #2 are unclear and may be over-estimated. More information is needed.
The depth and meaning of our deficit became apparent when grade 11 students were forced to delegate to Public Works in April begging the city to expedite the installation of a basketball court not planned to be installed until 2051 due to funding shortfalls.
When the Province completes updates to flood plain mapping, it will become apparent that many roads, including Safari, will be identified as lost assets.
Attempting to save every meter of doomed roadways is irresponsible. As a city facing a massive infrastructure deficit we must decide what we can afford to keep and what to let go.
Most of the south side of the road is provincially-owned Crown Land and very few homes are directly impacted by the closure compared to hundreds of thousands of Hamiltonians who deal with sub-standard infrastructure every day.
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April 30, 2026 update
Staff are recommending that the Public Works Committee vote on May 4 to raise and widen Safari Road where it traverses the wetland complex. Please send an email let Public Works Committee Councillors know that closing the road is the best option.
Email deadline noon Monday, May 4 2026! Contacts here.
Subject line: Public Works 9.2 - May 4 Safari Road wetland complex.
Scroll down for talking points
Safari Road in Flamborough traverses the Hyde-Rockton-Beverly Provincially Significant Wetland complex and after months of study, Engineering Staff's recommendation to the Public Works committee is option #3 - to raise and widen this 2.5km section of Safari Road located between Kirkwall Rd. and Valens Rd.
As highlighted by the Hamilton Naturalists' Club (HNC), this important wetland provides habitat for countless species, including at least 3 federally and provincially recognized Species at Risk (SAR) (Prothonotary Warbler, Least Bittern, & Blandings Turtle) which have been documented using the wetland during their breeding season. There are multiple records of species that have been killed on the road while it was open to traffic. Since it is subject to historical flooding it has now been closed to general traffic for about five years.
Please send an email to Public Works committee asking them to vote for the adoption of Alternative #2- the permanent closure of the road to mitigate significant roadkill issues, reduce winter salt loads into the wetland complex, preserve the aquatic habitat, make good on Hamilton's pledge to increase biodiversity, and stop habitat fragmentation.
Read the seven attachments at item 9.2 on Monday, May 4th Public Works committee agenda.
More info is on the PIC2 2 slide presentationthat describes the area:
Woodland and wetland habitats which support a large diversity of flora and fauna, including some at-risk and area sensitive species
Sheffield Rockton Wetland Complex, a provincially significant wetland (PSW), which supports several specialized bird and reptile species
Several Species at Risk (SAR) birds found within the study area
Watercourse and wetland that provide direct fish habitat for a warm-cool water fish community
Talking points for your email
The capital cost to raise 2.5 km of Safari Road is estimated to be between: $8.1 M - $9.3M when Hamilton already has a $5.2 billion infrastructure deficit.
HNC’s comments: Hamilton has implemented a Biodiversity Action Plan which identifies 4 key threats to biodiversity. One of these is fragmentation of natural areas, particularly by roads. An Action that the City has committed to is 3.1 which will “Investigate, identify and prioritize wildlife corridors particularly where roads bisect Core Areas identified within the Natural Heritage System and respond by investigating appropriate best management practices and tools.” In Action 7.5 the City committed to “Consider the Biodiversity Action Plan when initiating City projects and studies, looking for opportunities for mitigation of key threats to local biodiversity.
We believe that Safari Road should be removed from the Truck Routes Network which designates it as a full-time truck route. This designation is driving Staff's preferred alternative which is to raise up and widen the road but we believe the integrity of the wetland should not be compromised to provide a faster route for trucks and cars when there are parallel roads that can and have been used since the road was closed several years ago.
Safari Road is also part of the Cycling Master Plan and therefore Complete Streets Guidelines require that if the road is raised, it is also widened to add a shoulder on each side. We support adding cycling infrastructure on parallel roads but this should not be used as a justification to raise and widen Safari Road which will negatively impact this wetland complex.
Residents and businesses have by now adapted to the long time closure and we believe keeping Safari Road closed would honour the City's commitment to biodiversity, stop the fragmentation of habitat by roads, cut down on salt in the wetland complex, and save taxpayers the costs of re-engineering, re-building, and maintaining this road.
Please send your comments by Monday, May 4 and share with friends and family.
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September 30, 2025 update
It turns out that building a road through a provincially significant wetland (PSW) is bad for nature, property owners and Hamilton taxpayers. Safari Road in Flamborough traverses the Hyde-Rockton-Beverly Complex, identified as a PSW and a “Key Natural Heritage and Key Hydrologic Feature Wetland” within the City’s Official Plan.
As highlighted by the Hamilton Naturalists' Club (HNC), this important wetland provides habitat for countless species, including at least 3 federally and provincially recognized Species at Risk (SAR) (Prothonotary Warbler, Least Bittern, & Blandings Turtle) which have been documented using the wetland during their breeding season. There are multiple records of species that have been killed on the road while it was open to traffic. Since it is subject to historical flooding it has now been closed to general traffic for about five years.
Please provide comments in your own words via the public consultation website and vote for the adoption of Alternative #2- the permanent closure of the road to mitigate significant roadkill issues, reduce winter salt loads into the wetland complex, preserve the aquatic habitat, make good on Hamilton's pledge to increase biodiversity, and stop habitat fragmentation.
Tuesday September 30, 2025 is the deadline to provide comments at Engage Hamilton - Safari Road
Take a moment to look over the materials at the link above including the PIC2 2 slide presentationthat describes the area:
Woodland and wetland habitats which support a large diversity of flora and fauna, including some at-risk and area sensitive species
Sheffield Rockton Wetland Complex, a provincially significant wetland (PSW), which supports several specialized bird and reptile species
Several Species at Risk (SAR) birds found within the study area
Watercourse and wetland that provide direct fish habitat for a warm-cool water fish community
HNC’s comments: Hamilton has implemented a Biodiversity Action Plan whichidentifies 4 key threats to biodiversity. One of these is fragmentation of natural areas, particularly by roads. An Action that the City has committed to is 3.1 which will “Investigate, identify and prioritize wildlife corridors particularly where roads bisect Core Areas identified within the Natural Heritage System and respond by investigating appropriate best management practices and tools.” In Action 7.5 the City committed to “Consider the Biodiversity Action Plan when initiating City projects and studies, looking for opportunities for mitigation of key threats to local biodiversity.
We believe that Safari Road should be removed from the Truck Routes Network which designates it as a full-time truck route. This designation is driving Staff's preferred alternative which is to raise up and widen the road but we believe the integrity of the wetland should not be compromised to provide a faster route for trucks and cars when there are parallel roads that can and have been used since the road was closed several years ago.
Safari Road is also part of the Cycling Master Plan and therefore Complete Streets Guidelines require that if the road is raised, it is also widened to add a shoulder on each side. We support adding cycling infrastructure on parallel roads but this should not be used as a justification to raise and widen Safari Road which will negatively impact this wetland complex.
Residents and businesses have by now adapted to the long time closure and we believe keeping Safari Road closed would honour the City's commitment to biodiversity, stop the fragmentation of habitat by roads, cut down on salt in the wetland complex, and save taxpayers the costs of re-engineering, re-building, and maintaining this road.
Remember to provide your comments by Tuesday, September 30 and please share with friends and family.
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