City Service Impacts
The Customer Contact Centre is operational and available to take phone calls at 905-546-2489 (CITY).
Services experiencing temporary disruptions
While the City is working to restore and recover from the cybersecurity incident, some services are experiencing temporary disruptions. This page is updated regularly as new information becomes available. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to resolve the issue.
Accounts Payable Information for City Vendors
Vendor payments are currently in progress. Payments began at the end of February. However, currently, all payments are being processed manually, so delays are anticipated. We appreciate your patience while we seek to restore services as quickly as possible.
Note: Vendors are requested to continue sending invoices to the City of Hamilton using the normal process.
If you have any questions, please contact genap@hamilton.ca. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Building & Planning
All public counters remain open including the third, fifth and sixth floors of City Hall.
Most phone lines are currently not operational; however, some have come back online:
- Building Inspection can be reached at 905-546-2424 ext. 7777
- Building General Inquiries can be reached at 905-546-2720
Staff can be reached by email, including individual work email addresses and our various general inquiry email addresses.
For general inquiries, staff can be reached at:
- Building Division: building@hamilton.ca or phone 905-546-2720
- Planning Division: pdgeninq@hamilton.ca
- Development Engineering: DevEngApprovals@hamilton.ca
- Development Construction: Gmconstruction@hamilton.ca
- Transportation Planning: tplanning@hamilton.ca
- Development Charges: DCRequest@hamilton.ca
Building Inspections
Building inspections are continuing and can be booked via email using the Building Division email address at building@hamilton.ca or by phone at 905-546-2424 ext. 7777
Building Permit Applications
Building Division staff continue to accept new building permit applications, advance existing building permit applications, and issue building permits.
For questions about existing building permit applications, or to submit a new building permit application, please phone 905-546-2720, e-mail Building Division staff at building@hamilton.ca or submit your application in person at City Hall, third floor front counter.
Development Applications
City staff remain committed to advancing existing development applications, receiving new development applications or resubmissions for existing development applications. You can submit applications by email or in person at City Hall, fifth floor service counter. Please be aware that our payment systems are currently affected, but we can still accept cheques.
For existing applications, in some cases, staff have requested resubmission of some supporting information from applicants. Although the City's on-line portal and SharePoint site for development applications are inaccessible currently, we are still accepting new development applications or resubmissions via email or in person at City Hall, fifth floor service counter.
Our staff continue to communicate with applicants about their development applications and are available for meetings and phone calls, either in person or virtually, as needed.
Formal Consultation Applications
If you wish to submit a new Formal Consultation application, please contact Planning staff at pdgeninq@hamilton.ca or submit your application in person at City Hall, fifth floor service counter.
Sewer and Water Permits
Growth Management Division staff continue to advance sewer and water permit applications and are issuing permits. Applicants may be contacted to provide pertinent information, including final drawings.
For questions about existing applications, or to submit a new application, please contact Development Engineering staff at DevEngApprovals@hamilton.ca or at the front counter on the sixth floor of City Hall.
We appreciate your patience while we work to restore all services as quickly as possible.
CityHousing Hamilton
City Housing Hamilton is available.
City Housing Hamilton’s main office is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at 181 Main St W 3rd Floor.
Service Disruptions:
- Phone lines and housing software applications are not operational. For emergencies that require immediate service, call: Answer Plus 1-844-937-2943.
- Staff have limited access to emails but will sort through non-emergency emails on a priority basis.
Payments:
- In-person payments: CHH (CityHousing Hamilton) can accept cash, cheques, and money orders at our main office 181 Main St W 3rd Floor. Please note debit machines are not operational.
- Pre-authorized payments March rent payments were withdrawn from your account on February 29th. The amount withdrawn was equal to February 1st rent.
- If the amount is incorrect for March’s rent it will be adjusted when the system is back up and running.
- Online banking payments through your financial institution are accepted.
Cemeteries
Hamilton Municipal Cemeteries Offices are currently open, and most services are available. Staff remain available to help.
Service Disruptions:
- Phone lines are currently not operational. For assistance, call 905-973-4064 for Sales or 365-378-5641 for Administrative requests.
- Genealogical information is currently not available.
- There may be some delays experienced related to services, such as burials and sales, because all transactions and contracts must be processed manually.
Child Care
Most Child Care Services remain available, and staff remain available to support.
As of Monday, March 25, the Child Care Fee Subsidy office located at 28 James Street North will be reopened and available for in-person appointments. Existing Child Care Fee Subsidy clients can continue communicating with their Fee Subsidy Worker through the My Child Care Account.
Service Disruptions:
- Therapeutic referral for child care intake cannot receive faxed forms at this time. Please send therapeutic referrals by email to cctc@hamilton.ca.
- The online Child Care Registry is not available. Please send an email to staff at one of these emails to learn more about child care programs across Hamilton:
- Hamilton West - ccstwest@hamilton.ca
- Hamilton East - ccsteast@hamilton.ca
- Hamilton Mountain - ccstmtn@hamilton.ca
Council & Committee Meetings
The City has returned to scheduled Council and Standing Committee meetings. Schedule of meetings is available at hamilton.ca/meetingsagendas
Staff have been working to resolve some of the technology challenges posed by the Cybersecurity Incident to run Committee and Council meetings, prioritizing accessibility and in accordance with Procedural By-Laws.
Council & Committee meeting Agendas
Agendas will continue to be available on the City’s website via eScribe. Agendas will be posted at least five days prior to the scheduled meetings in accordance with procedural requirements.
Meetings and Agendas are available at hamilton.ca/meetingsagendas
Request to Speak
City staff continues working on testing live streaming capabilities for Council and Committee meetings to ensure we have the ability for Councillors and delegations to participate in the meetings virtually. Written submissions are also an option for Council meetings and can be emailed to clerk@hamilton.ca.
All Council and Committee meetings have the ability to livestream to the City’s YouTube channel and Councillors and delegates have the ability to participate virtually.
Learn more about how to request to speak at an upcoming Committee of Council.
Advisory Committees
Volunteer Advisory Committees are established by Council and are comprised of volunteer members from the Hamilton community. Volunteer Advisory Committees provide advice to Council through reports, on their area of expertise to an assigned Standing Committee.
Advisory Committees should continue as scheduled unless any technology restrictions related to the cybersecurity incident prevent the meeting from moving forward
Livestreaming
Yes. Meetings will continue to be livestreamed via the City’s YouTube Channel using the internet bandwidth available in the Chamber through an internet hotspot. City staff continue working to test livestreaming capabilities in Council Chambers to ensure that delegates can either appear virtually or send in video recordings.
Customer Contact Centre
The Customer Contact Centre is operational and able to take phone calls from residents at 905-546-2489 (CITY).
We ask for the public’s patience as some delays may be experienced.
Dog Licenses
New dog licences and renewals of existing ones can be processed in person at all Municipal Service Centres, as well as at the City of Hamilton Animal Services located at 247 Dartnall Road. Please note that purchasing new licenses or renewing existing ones online or over the phone is not an option at this time.
All late fees for license renewals are currently being waived and will continue to be waived until 30 days after the City’s online renewal portal is restored.
Emergency Services
Emergency Services remain operational. Please call 9-1-1 if you are experiencing an emergency or crisis.
Computer Aided Dispatch for Fire is functional again as the back end systems have been restored.
Burn Permits - Available to purchase at Municipal Service Centres. For more information visit the Open Air Burning Permits
Service Disruptions:
- Fire Prevention Service Requests
Engineering Services
Service Disruptions:
- Public Requests for Municipal Act water and/or sewer connection are unavailable.
- Online Drawing Requests through SPIDER are unavailable.
- Right-of-Way Permitting review times are delayed due to associated online tool availability; however, permits are still being processed for the following:
- Road Closure Permits, Occupancy Permits, Truck Oversize Permits, Access Permits, Encroachment Permits
- Municipal Consent (Utility Installations)
- Special Utilities Program (Utility Installations)
- Excavation Permits (Road Cuts)
Forestry Horticulture
Service Disruptions:
The Memorial Bench and Tree Program is paused; however, staff can still take requests through combench@hamilton.ca
Freedom of Information
The City continues to accept FOI applications by mail and in person at City Hall.
Payment of the $5 application can be made by cheque, payable to the City of Hamilton or by cash at City Hall.
Services Disruptions:
- The City may not be able to be able to respond to your FOI application within the prescribed timelines. We are continuing to log all requests.
- Responses may be delayed. We appreciate your patience.
Garbage & Recycling
Garbage, Green Bin, Bulk Pick Up and Leaf & Yard Waste collection programs are operational.
All Transfer Stations/Community Recycling Centres are now accepting all forms of payment.
The 2024/2025 Recycling & Waste Information Guide along with 12 green trash tags were recently mailed out to residents. To request a guide or to request your additional 14 trash tags, please visit a Municipal Service Centre or City Hall, or call 905-546-2489 (CITY). Please be advised the online form to request additional trash tags is not available at this time.
Service Disruptions:
The following online tools for waste and recycling are down:
- Replacement Green Bin or Blue Box Online Application
- Waste Special Consideration Request
- Ordering Additional Trash Tags Request
- Request Bulk Pick Up Online Form
GIS Systems (City mapping)
Service Disruptions:
All City of Hamilton GIS systems are currently down. The City’s website mapping is unavailable, including access to:
- Interactive Zoning Mapping
- Find My Ward
Hamilton Public Library
All Hamilton Public Library branches are open. Most services, programs and online resources are available. Visit www.hpl.ca for service, event, and program updates.
- The Hamilton Public Library website is available.
- WiFi service has been restored at Carlisle and Valley Park branches. Wi-Fi service is available at all branches except Ancaster. Please be patient as service may be interrupted while our team works to ensure stable connectivity across all branches.
- All branches are open. Study Halls are open. Bookmobiles are open.
- In-branch borrowing is available.
- HPL’s online catalogue is available to browse.
- Access to Libby, OverDrive and most online resources (Kanopy, Hoopla, etc.) are available.
Library Staff is available by email at askhpl@hpl.ca, online chat or phone 289-779-7588
Service Disruptions:
These library services are currently not available:
- Public computers
- Printing, scanning and photocopying
- Borrowing or placing a hold using HPL’s online catalogue
- Self-check kiosks
- Virtual programming
- Makerspaces
- Extended Access
- Help with Tech Devices
Job Postings & Recruitment
New! We are pleased to announce that our online job applications portal is now active, and we are accepting resumes for a variety of opportunities.
- If you applied for a job the week before the incident, it is likely that your resume has not yet been reviewed by Human Resources. Please watch for our job opportunities in the coming weeks as we resume our recruitment activities.
- Some job competitions moved past the screening stage, and resumes were sent to hiring managers for review before the cybersecurity incident. In these instances, Human Resources has retained candidate applications and information via email, allowing them to continue with the recruitment process up to the offer stage.
- Recruitment for summer students will continue. Job offers have gone out to General Labourer summer students because Human Resources retrieved candidate applications and information from the system before the cybersecurity incident. All other summer student recruitments and job postings that are not accessible will be reposted, or their closing date will be extended.
- Candidates who applied for positions and have not heard from Human Resources are encouraged to re-apply for any postings they are interested in to ensure their candidacy is considered.
- All written job offers made before the cybersecurity incident are being honoured.
Licensing
The City of Hamilton recognizes the inconvenience this situation has caused residents. Where possible, the City will be waiving any late fees.
Service Disruptions:
- Online Dog Licensing (new & renew)
- Business Licensing/Permit Payments
- Online Marriage Licence Applications
Long-term Care Homes
Macassa and Wentworth lodges are fully functional with all aspect of care occurring.
Service Disruptions:
The lodges are unable to receive phone calls via their main lines. Residents, families and all others are asked to please contact either:
- Macassa Lodge reception at businessoffice.macassalodge@hamilton.ca or call 905-973-3954 (Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm)
- Wentworth Lodge reception at businessoffice.wentworthlodge@hamilton.ca or call 289-442-6253 (Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm)
Marriage Ceremonies and Licenses
Weddings at City Hall are continuing to be performed with no disruptions during regular hours – Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
- Manual marriage licenses available – Municipal Service Centres and Citizen Service Centre (City Hall) Monday – Friday 8:30 am until 4:30 pm (Dundas and Flamborough closed on Fridays).
Municipal Addressing & Street Name Changes
Service Disruptions:
- Phone lines are currently not operational. For questions or address/street name change requests, please email maddress@hamilton.ca.
- Please note that response times may be delayed.
- Addressing / Street Name Change requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Preliminary Address Notification Letters may be issued in certain situations.
- Official Address Notification Letters cannot be issued at this time but will be once services are back online.
Municipal Service Centres and Citizen Service Centre (City Hall)
Municipal Service Centres and the Citizen Service Centre are open and offering service, with some limitations.
Examples of available services include parking ticket, administrative penalty and provincial offence payments (within the due date), blue bins, trash tags and waste calendars, marriage licences, taxi scripts and Presto, burn permits, and migrant farm payments.
Service Disruptions:
- Tax payments can be made if the property owner has the tax roll # and tax stub or can show photo ID verifying the address. (property tax lookups are not available)
- Invoice payments can only be made if the resident has a copy of the invoice.
- Green cart service requests are not available.
Museums & Heritage Facilities
Museums and Heritage Facilities are fully operational. Museum programming and tours continue uninterrupted.
Service Disruptions:
- Tour tickets for Museum and Heritage Facilities must be purchased online through the Hamilton Civic Museums webpage
- At this time, we are currently not able to accept debit or credit payments in person
- Please call 905-978-1443 for bookings or information
Online City Services
Service Disruptions:
Online Payments - processing is unavailable for the following online services:
- Fire Prevention Service Request (inspections, file search, education, etc.)
- Open Air Burn Permits
- Dog Licensing (new & renew)
- Animal Services Donations
- Business Licensing/Permit Payments
Online Systems - The following online systems are down:
- ePLANS – Online Building Permits
- Online Zoning Verification/Property Report Application
- Marriage License Online Application
- Public Health Inspection Results (Food Safety, Public Pools & Spas, Personal Services etc.)
Ontario Works and Special Supports
All Ontario Works offices, including the Special Supports program, remain open to the public.
Monthly payments are being issued as scheduled.
Ontario Works staff can now respond to messages and documents submitted through MyBenefits.
Contact Information:
- Ontario Works: 905-546-4800 8:30am - 4:30pm, Monday to Friday
- Special Supports: 905-546-2590 8:30am - 4:30pm Monday to Friday or email support@hamilton.ca for any questions and/or if you require a Low Income or Fare Assist Program Application.
- The City of Hamilton Subsidy and Support Programs Application website is now available, including the Low Income and Fare Assist Program applications. Apply online at specialsupportsbenefits.hamilton.ca
Service Disruptions:
- Communications through direct phone extensions are impacted.
- Faxes are not available.
Property Taxes
The instalment due date of February 29, 2024, remains unchanged.
Taxpayers can make payments at their bank (at their branch or through online banking) or by mail. Payments by cash or cheque can also be made at the City's Municipal Service Centres.
The City of Hamilton is resuming pre-authorized withdrawals for the majority of Pre-Authorized Payment (PAP) taxpayers with revisions to some of the scheduled PAP withdrawal dates. View the Revised Withdrawl Dates and more information
Service Disruptions:
- Lawyers requiring tax certificates for closings will need to plan to readjust after closing once the disruption has been resolved.
The following online tax tools for tax are down:
- eBilling Portal
- Property Inquiry Tool
- Tax.Hamilton.ca
Instalment due date
The instalment due date of Feb 29th, 2024 is remaining unchanged. Taxpayers can continue to make payments as follows:
- At your bank/financial institution via your branch or through your bank’s telephone or online banking.
- By mail – ensure to include the payment stub with your cheque.
- In person at the City’s Municipal Service Centres – ensure to bring your payment stub. Note that there are some service restrictions at this time.
- Through one of the City’s pre-authorized payment plans – at this time, we cannot accept new applications. If you are currently enrolled in a pre-authorized payment plan, the scheduled withdrawal for the end of February/beginning of March will proceed, however may be delayed.
Taxpayers currently on pre-authorized payments
If you are on the arrears PAP plan, the scheduled withdrawal for February 29th has been delayed.
If you are on the 12-month or 10-month plans with withdrawals on the 1st of the month, the scheduled withdrawal for March 1st has been delayed.
If you are on the Instalment pre-authorized payment plan, the February 29th withdrawal has been delayed.
At this time, we can not determine the length of the delay. Please ensure to keep the funds in your bank account for when the withdrawal eventually goes through. Taxpayers will not incur penalty and interest charges as a result of the potential delay in the scheduled withdrawal.
Law offices
The City currently cannot produce tax certificates. As such, lawyers requiring tax certificates for closings may need to plan to readjust after closing once the disruption has been resolved. Fax lines have been affected, so the City is currently unable to receive any ownership changes sent via fax. Please email ownership changes to taxinquiry@hamilton.ca or send through the mail. All ownership changes received via email or mail will be updated once the disruption has been resolved.
Tax Assistance Programs
The due date to apply for most assistance programs (i.e. Seniors Rebate, Deferral of Tax Increase, Compassionate Appeals, Municipal Act Appeals, Charitable rebates) remains unchanged as February 29, 2024. Please ensure to provide the completed application form and required documentation by the due date. Completed applications can continue to be emailed to taxsupport@hamilton.ca, send through mail or dropped off in person at one of the City’s Municipal Service Centres.
New Owners/Misplaced tax bills
The City currently cannot look up the status of tax roll accounts or reprint tax bills. Interim tax bills were mailed out beginning of February. If the taxpayer purchased after the tax bills were issued, their lawyer should have advised them of their upcoming instalments (either by way of a copy of the tax bill from the vendor or a tax certificate). For the most part, the February 29th instalment should be equivalent to 25% of the 2023 total taxes.
Provincial Offences Administration Office
The Provincial Offences Office at 50 Main Street East is open.
- To check the status of your ticket or fine, please visit Ontario.ca/ticketsandfines.
- Payments can be made in person, by mail, by phone or online at Paytickets.ca.
- Courts are running as scheduled.
- The POA phone lines are now active. Please call 905-540-5592 to speak to a court Administration Clerk.
Public Health Services
Service Disruptions:
- Some Public Health Services’ programs and services are currently disrupted.
- Public Health Services is experiencing a delay in web-based reporting.
- Client appointments and bookings normally administrated and scheduled digitally are unavailable at this time. (For example, if you have a breastfeeding, dental or smoking cessation appointment booked, we are presently unable to access those previously scheduled appointments.)
- Additionally, the following in-take and program lines are currently disrupted due to technical issues:
- Health Connections, Safe Water Info-Line, Tobacco Hotline, Harm Reduction Info-Line, Vaccine Intake, Infectious Disease Intake, Sexual Health and Alcohol, Drug & Gambling Services phone-lines are down. To get in touch with these services, please call the Customer Contact Centre at 905-546-2489 (CITY) and they will connect you with the program.
- Public Health Services’ general fax line for program referrals is also down
- A Medical Advisory has been issued to our health care partners about reporting infectious diseases, vaccines, and environmental health issues
Recreation/Senior Centres, Arenas, Golf Courses
Recreation Summer Program Registration starts on June5 & 6. Visit www.hamilton.ca/registration for details.
Recreation / Senior Centres and Arenas are fully operational, and Customer Service counters are now able to process card payments in addition to payments by cash and cheque.
Admission fees for Recreation drop-in programs (e.g., drop-in pool, skating, basketball, etc.), membership sales and renewals have resumed.
Service Disruptions:
- The Senior Centre Without Walls phone line is not operational. This program is canceled during the outage.
For questions about recreation programming or should you need assistance, please visit a recreation facility directly.
Red Hill Family Centre
The Red Hill Family Centre is fully operational.
Service Disruptions:
- The main phone line for the Red Hill Family Centre is currently down. Please contact the onsite Supervisor directly should you need assistance.
Transit
Transit Services are operational.
Service Disruptions
- On board stop annunciators are offline. If you require assistance, please ask your Bus Operator when you board.
- The HSRnow App is currently unavailable.
- The Bus Check phone line 905-527-4441 is currently not operational.
- New! Current bus schedules are now available on third-party trip planning tools like Google, Apple and Transit.
Accessible Transportation Services
- Accessible transportation as provided by DARTS is operating normally.
- Accessible Transportation Services (ATS) customer service can be reached by emailing ATS@hamilton.ca or by calling DARTS at 905-529-1717 and pressing 2.
- DARTS can be reached by phone at 905-529-1717 during their regular hours of operation as posted online at www.dartstransit.com, Monday to Saturday, 8:30am to 2am and Sunday, 8:30am to 2:30pm.
HSR Bus Service
- All regular accessible transit routes are operational. Bus Operators are driving without the aid of computerized onboard schedule. We appreciate your patience.
- HSR Customer Experience can be reached by email at HSRserve@hamilton.ca from 8 am to 4pm, Monday through Friday. Urgent inquiries will be prioritized.
- Downloadable PDF copies of current bus schedules are available on the City’s website.
- New! Printed bus schedules are available at the HSR Customer Service Counter at the Hamilton GO Centre at 36 Hunter St. E.
- New! Current bus schedules are now available on third-party trip planning tools like Google, Apple and Transit.
Bus Fares
- PRESTO fare collection systems remain operational.
- The HSR Ticket Office, located at the Hunter Street GO Station is open for fare sales and accepting all payment types, including cash, credit, and debit.
- New! The online application for Fare Assist is now available at hamilton.ca/FareAssist.
- Paper applications continue to be available at the Hunter Street GO Station, 1550 Upper James St, Unit 14A or 250 Main St E.
- If you are unable to submit an application online or have questions regarding your application for a program, benefit or subsidy, please contact the Hamilton Special Supports Benefits Team at 905-546-2590.
- For more information about Fare Assist, visit hamilton.ca/FareAssist.
On Demand Transit in Waterdown
- The myRide app for on demand transit in Waterdown is available for online bookings.
- For customers who are unable to use the myRide app, a call-back can be requested by telephone at 905-546-2489 (CITY) to book a trip. An HSR customer care representative will call back Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.
- Any calls to 905-546-2489 outside of regular business hours for booking requests will be returned Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.
Water and Wastewater
- The City’s water, wastewater and stormwater operations are unaffected by the cybersecurity incident.
- Some delays to some Hamilton Water programs and support services should be expected.
- Water bills for some customers may be processed using estimated values for metered water consumption
- Customers with questions about their water bills should contact Alectra Utilities at 1-833-ALECTRA (1-833-253-2872).
Winter Operations
The City of Hamilton’s Roadway Maintenance team is managing the winter weather similar to other snow events. At this time, the public-facing plow tracker online tool at hamilton.ca/snow is offline due to the ongoing Cybersecurity Incident.