A survivor, a refugee, a veteran among 10 interesting people we met in Hamilton in 2021
CBC
Every year, CBC Hamilton reporters meet some of the most interesting people in the area and introduce them to you.
2021 was a great year for finding stories about remarkable people in Hamilton and the surrounding area doing remarkable things.
One common thread among them is their ability to endure hardship and trauma.
Here's a look back at just a few of Hamilton's most interesting people in 2021.
Jessica Compton was only eight years old growing up in North Bay, Ont., when a man broke into her home at 2 a.m., took her out of bed, brought her to his car and sexually assaulted her.
"From that point, I was mute. I wouldn't talk to anybody. I was in shock," Compton told CBC Hamilton.
"I was running away. I was bullying kids at school, taking my anger out on other people," she said.
Her journey led her through foster homes and landed her on the streets.
She survived it all.
Now an education worker in Hamilton, she's come a long way, even creating Tree of Stars, to promote mental health awareness, and help in addiction recovery through music and wellness.
Amal Battrawi said she dreamed of a day when her children won't be afraid to play outside. But for the past three years, she had recurring nightmares.
"I just keep thinking and [I] worry about my daughters," said the Palestinian refugee.
Her daughters, Sama, 11, and Sireen, 13, were trying to leave Gaza for Hamilton with their father Sherif.
They were first separated from Battrawi and the family's youngest child, five-year-old Sameer, in March 2019.
As teachers continue to raise concerns about challenges in their classrooms, the Saskatchewan government has pledged to do better when it comes to education — including a plan to expand specialized support classrooms.
Three family members are suing the Alberta government and a company that operates an Edmonton group home, alleging both failed to take steps to prevent the death of 15-year-old Noah Gitsel.
This First Person column is the experience of Shannon Flaman, who lives in Red Deer, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
City staff are working on long-term plans to prevent toxic and smelly algae blooms at the Hamilton harbour – and short-term plans to mitigate blooms when they happen – but are cautioning residents that it's not the type of problem with a quick fix.
Another blockade of the Ambassador Bridge wouldn't play out like what happened in February 2022 — thanks to police being empowered to act faster and harder, according to a report that's going to Windsor city council next week.
On the first day of 2025, Alberta's default electricity rate is set to be replaced by the new "rate of last resort," in what the province says is a bid to protect consumers from a volatile electricity pricing landscape.
Canadians and Americans sit next to each other in the stands of a small Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., hockey arena to watch the Soo Thunderbirds face off against their cross-border rivals, Michigan's Soo Eagles.
A number of school bus routes in northwestern Ontario have been cancelled Wednesday after a dump of snow overnight in the region. A number of weather advisories also remain in effect in the region, including snow squall warnings in the Greenstone area.
Waterloo regional councillors have voted down a motion that would have asked the Waterloo Regional Police Service to cut $4 million from its proposed 2025 budget.
Residents of a neighbourhood in the heart of downtown Charlottetown hope to have a community garden in place on some vacant land by the time spring arrives.
Planting trees is a popular way to mitigate climate change, but in northern and Arctic regions, it may not be an effective solution.