Do you know about all of the amazing things that happen in the Jamesville Community Centre every day? The JVCC is one of the healthiest spaces that exists in the Jamesville neighbourhood today. But its continued existence has recently been threatened by a shocking and illogical move by the Catholic school board to replace active community space with filing cabinets.  

In this month’s Mayday Magazine, we return in more detail to some of the issues that came up around our November issue. Whether or not you think development in downtown Hamilton is gentrification, it is important that we not become bogged down by the definition(s) of a word. Some of the specific trends and symptoms of this development are harming people and reducing the health of our communities. We cannot afford to ignore this, regardless of our thoughts on the G-word.

Editor's note: What follows is a selection of comments posted on Mayday Magazine's website and reprinted within the cover spread of December's issue. To see these perspectives in their original context click here.

Monday, 22 November 2010 posted by Akshobhya
It seems there are several different streams of disconnect and dissonance here.

Firstly, perhaps we have a different perception of what constitutes 'gentrification.'...the idea of gentrification is an amalgamation of several concepts. Some of these concepts include privilege, poverty, capitalism, rights, community, etc.

Tensions Mount as Diverse Community Discusses Downtown Development

BY KEVIN MACKAY

On Tuesday, November 23rd, a discussion entitled Downtown Development: Challenges and Opportunities occurred at the Sky Dragon. I invited people to this meeting based on recent events that have at times enraged, engaged, and polarized members of the downtown community. Art exhibits on the drug and sex trades, increased police presence in the core, covert sticker attacks against James North galleries and businesses, and a controversial article in Mayday Magazine, to name a few examples. These and other incidents have revealed strong differences of opinion among people who are otherwise united in their passion for downtown revitalization.

A response to Daniel O'Rourke's "To the Footsoldiers of Gentrification"

BY ROGER ABBISS
Partner, Mulberry Street Coffeehouse

Any serious discussion about alleviating poverty has to acknowledge the primary role that economic development plays in the solution. There is no city on this planet, no village, no town where poverty has been permanently alleviated without the benefit of sustained economic development.

BY CARLY CIUFO

Gentrification is a powerful word. In the context of downtown development, its mention has the ability to divide anti-poverty activists and business improvement advocates to such polar ends of the discussion that it effectively annuls dialogue. Ultimately, the effects of its use illustrate the class structure in Hamilton clearer than any other term in local political discourse. Importantly, however, gentrification is a threat that we as a city have to be aware of and guard ourselves against. And the best defense against gentrification is maintaining a collaborative and dialogical environment for the community.

BY SETH VEENSTRA AND SUNIL ANGRISH

We at Mayday Magazine believe it's important to acknowledge the controversy surrounding November's issue, "Developing Hamilton". Though dialogue and conflict are not exclusive processes, we were still surprised by the amount of conflict Daniel O'Rourke's article triggered.

The intention was to point to some of the dangers of gentrification with the hope of engaging the community in dialogue on how to address these dangers and avoid the outcomes of other cities.

Regardless of the intention, a number of alternative readings of the article have been voiced. Many community members felt personally attacked by O'Rourke and by Mayday Magazine.

KNOWING THE LAND IS RESISTANCE

The afternoon is full of sunshine, warming our cheeks into squinting smiles. Today there's a street festival on James Street North, and it's easy to get caught up in the joyful atmosphere. These festivals are a much-celebrated vision of the new downtown, but are they really increasing the health of our communities?

Hamilton is littered with the abandoned storefronts of former development enthusiasm – is the trend on James North any different? And what would building a healthy community even look like? With these questions rattling around inside us, we descend the hill along the West side of the James Street bridge to explore the meadow that grows by the traintracks there and seek some clarity.

BY DANIEL O'ROURKE

Let's cut the crap — what's happening on James Street North is gentrification. Phrases like "economic development" and "revitalizing the core" are just euphemisms for the stark reality of replacing one group of people with another, more desirable group

We in the arts scene, along with politicians and business owners, often talk about improving the downtown community. But too often that phrase means "we want our community to exist in the space where yours used to be".

A sustainable city is a functional city.

In A Manifesto For Sustainable Cities, Gaines and Jager argue that for a metropolis to survive -let alone thrive -sustainable development is key. As the authors expand on the term, it becomes clear that a sustainable city must also be inclusive.