In January 2019, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal opened the Hamilton Hearing Centre. The hearing centre is centrally located at 119 King Street West, 14th floor and it provides a modern facility with two dedicated hearing rooms.
The hearing centre in Hamilton was launched as a means of enhancing the service provided by the Tribunal to the area and reducing the wait time to hearing.
The Tribunal processes a high volume of appeals from Hamilton and the surrounding areas. In 2019, the Tribunal reduced the volume of Hamilton appeals and successfully reduced the wait time to hearing. Currently parties travel to Hamilton from a wide area that includes Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Welland, Port Dover and Simcoe. The Tribunal will now expand the area that can be serviced at the Hamilton Hearing Centre. This will allow for the hearing centre to be utilized to its full capacity.
Beginning in May 2020, appeals currently scheduled in Kitchener, will be scheduled at the Hamilton Hearing Centre. The Tribunal will no longer schedule hearings in Kitchener. Rather than using hotel boardrooms in Kitchener, the Tribunal will deliver value by taking advantage of its dedicated facilities at the Hamilton Hearing Centre. When selecting Hamilton as the hearing location, we will consider distances that are comparable to the distances that parties now travel for a Hamilton hearing.
Workers and witnesses will be able to claim reimbursement for allowable expenses as per the Tribunal’s Practice Direction: Fees and Expenses which is available on our website.
Questions concerning this matter can be made in writing and directed to the Manager, Scheduling Administration, Janet Oulton.