With the municipal election now nearly a month behind us, it’s time to take a look at what’s happening at Queen’s Park in terms of Hamilton’s entities lobbying the provincial government.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and U.S. Steel have updated their lobbyists registrations, and the City of Hamilton has a new lobbying firm representing the City as Council pushes for a new Mid-Pen Highway.

Other Hamilton organizations could be lobbying the provincial government, the provincial lobbyist registry isn’t designed to be easily queried.

Ticats

Eric Cunningham, former three-term MPP and Spectator columnist, continues to represent the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Football Club at Queen’s Park. The Ticats are actively lobbying the provincial on two items: The location of the Council-approved QEW highway promotion video-board sign, and “communications and awareness of the cost impact of delays of the Pan Am Stadium”.

U.S. Steel

US Steel’s lobbyist registry was updated to reflect the companies’ filing for creditor protection. U.S. Steel Canada is now represented by

Gordon Forstner of Drysdale Forstner Hamilton Public Affairs Ltd.

Here’s the complete lobbyist registry statement on the nature of lobbying:

Information sharing regarding restructuring matters for the purpose of identifying common objectives through the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) process and potential impact mitigation options and opportunities on issues such as future manufacturing activity, employment, employment benefits, etc.

City of Hamilton

Hamilton has a new lobbyist at Queen’s Park. Western Golden Horseshoe Municipalities Network, the new lobby front of the municipalities of Hamilton, Halton, Niagara, Peel, and Waterloo have hired three lobbyists from Hill + Knowlton Strategies to push the provincial government to build the Mid-Peninsula Highway.

Council approved joining the partnership in January. There was no cost figure attached.