The only reason BRT works in Ottawa is because of the dedicated transitway. Buses can go 90km/h and there are very few stops. Bus lanes are not the same thing. You will never have BRT in Hamilton as long as the buses are on city streets.
Ottawa's BRT system completely breaks down when it reaches the core and buses are forced onto city streets. That's why they're tunneling. Currently it looks like this:
Threaded Mode