2022 Hamilton, Ontario municipal election

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2022 Hamilton municipal election
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← 2018 October 24, 2022 2026 →
Mayor before election

Fred Eisenberger

 Elected Mayor

TBD

The 2022 Hamilton municipal election will occur on October 24, 2022, as per the Ontario Municipal Elections Act, 1996.[1][2] Electors in Hamilton selected one Mayor, members of the Hamilton, Ontario City Council and members of both English and French Public and Catholic School Boards using a first-past-the-post electoral system in single-member constituencies, called "wards".[3]

For the 2022 election, Hamiltonians will vote for 1 mayor and a city councillors in one of 15 wards. Based on their electoral registration, voters will also select one of 11 Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board trustees, 9 Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board trustees, 1 Conseil scolaire Viamonde trustee, or 1 Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir trustee. Each elected official's term will begin on November 15, 2022 and end on November 14, 2026.

Issues[]

Light Rail Transit[]

Hamilton's light rail transit (LRT) project has been a contentious issue since proposals surfaced in 2008. Supported by Hamilton city council and Metrolinx, the transit agency responsible for projects across the Toronto and Hamilton areas, the new rapid transit system was intended to ease congestion on the city's Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) system. In September, 2008, a city-commissioned survey found that 94% of Hamiltonians surveyed supported investment in rapid transit with 66% supporting light rail transit (LRT), 8% favouring bus rapid transit (BRT), and 20% endorsing either option.[4]

The proposed BLAST Network in Hamilton

Following Doug Ford's election as Premier in 2018, the provincial government maintained tacit support for the city's LRT project, with Ford telling Eisenberger if "[you] want an LRT, [you'll] get an LRT".[5] In a surprise move, Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney announced in December 2019 that the province would no longer support the project, citing a new cost estimate of $5.5 billion.[5] By August 2020, it was revealed that the revised $5.5 billion estimate was overinflated, as it included 30 years of capital and operating costs. Initial capital costs were estimated at $2.3 billion, prompting NDP leader Andrea Horwath to say "It's very clear the minister of transportation and [Premier Doug Ford] pretty much made this stuff [the new costs] up."[6]

The provincial government suffered from notable backlash and opted to strike a task force to study alternatives to LRT.[7] The resulting report confirmed earlier reports, indicating that LRT was a viable system, but provided the option between LRT and a bus rapid transit (BRT) system.[8] Councillors Collins (Ward 5 - Redhill), Jackson (Ward 6 - East Mountain), Clark (Ward 9 - Upper Stoney Creek), Pearson (Ward 10 - Lower Stoney Creek), Johnson (Ward 11 - Glanbrook), Whitehead (Ward 14 - West Mountain), and Partridge (Ward 15 - Flamborough) all announced they either preferred BRT or wanted it to be studied further, while Councillor Ferguson (Ward 12 - Ancaster) indicated he was uncertain regarding either proposal.[9] The Federal Infrastructure Minister, Catherine McKenna, indicated that, were LRT to be revived by the provincial government, the federal government would consider providing funds to the project.[10]

In September 2020, Metrolinx announced plans to demolish 21 buildings it had purchased along King Street East between "The Delta" (the intersection of King and Main Streets) and Wellington Street in preparation for LRT construction.[11]

During the mayor's annual State of the City address in October 2020, Eisenberger said that the province was considering reviving the LRT project, but was waiting for federal, municipal, and private-sector buy-in.[12]

Commonwealth Games[]

In 2019, a group of prominent local developers and investors created the Hamilton 100 Committee - an organization seeking to bring the 2030 Commonwealth Games to Hamilton in honour of the city's hosting the first games in 1930.[13] In April 2020, the Commonwealth Games announced that, after a bid from Calgary was rejected, no other Commonwealth city intended to bid for the games in 2026 and, should Hamilton want to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, there would be no competition for the bid.[14] While City Council intended to hear from the Hamilton 100 Committee (renamed Hamilton2026) in August 2020, the committee requested a delay until October 2020 to finalize their proposal.[15] During the summer of 2020, over 500 Hamiltonians signed a petition opposing the Commonwealth Games bid. Designer Matt Jelly critiqued the plan, noting “The city has a long waiting list for housing, and more and more in the pandemic the problem is pretty visible. It's not abstract: we either spend that money on Games or on things we actually need."[16] Kojo Damptey of the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion similarly critiqued the bid, telling The Spectator “It's better to spend money on public health, housing, and transit, and other initiatives that will ensure the safety of residents of the city.”[16]

In October 2020, Flamborough-Glanbrook MPP Donna Skelly announced that the province was unlikely to support the city's 2026 bid as it had allocated significant resources to supporting a bid for Toronto to serve as the Canadian host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Skelly encouraged the city to consider a bid in 2027 or 2030.[17]

Ranked Ballots and Ward Boundaries[]

In November, 2016, councillors rejected an attempt by then councillor Matthew Green (Ward 3 - Hamilton Centre) to initiate a study into the feasibility of ranked balloting. Opponents of the plan called ranked ballots "confusing" and worried they would hinder voter turnout. Council then voted 9–5 against making any moves toward the change.[18]

After the 2018 election, the issue was once again raised by council. During this attempt, council voted 8-7 against a move to ranked ballots for 2022. Mayor Eisenberger and Councillors Wilson (Ward 1 - Chedoke-Cootes), Farr (Ward 2 - Downtown), Nann (Ward 3 - Hamilton Centre), Merulla (Ward 4 - Hamilton East), Danko (Ward 8 - Central/West Mountain), and Clark (Ward 9 - Upper Stoney Creek) voted in favour of the move, while the remainder of council opposed the change.[19]

A debate appeared in the Hamilton Spectator in the fall of 2020 about Hamilton's ward boundaries. New wards were created in 2018. Spectator sports columnist Scott Radley wrote in the Hamilton Spectator that city council should move to an at-large system. Radley made the argument that an at-large system would make councillors think about the needs of different areas and discourage councillors from acting like lords or ladies of a fiefdom.[20] PhD candidate in urban political geography Chris Erl wrote a response saying Hamilton needed to keep wards and have elected neighbourhood councils like in Los Angeles or Montreal to make it easier for women, youth, LGBTQ people and people of colour to run and to connect people to city government.[21]

In October 2020, as part of the provincial government's "Supporting Ontario's Recovery Act" omnibus bill, it was announced that the right for municipalities to hold elections using a ranked ballot would be revoked. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark said that "Now is not the time for municipalities to experiment with costly changes to how municipal elections are conducted". This provincial act would forcibly change London, Ontario's electoral system and prevent Hamilton from pursuing a ranked ballot.[22]

Hamilton Pride violence[]

During the annual Pride Hamilton celebrations in Gage Park in June 2019, an agglomeration of anti-gay Evangelical Christian preachers, Yellow Vest protesters, and supporters of the far-right Canadian Nationalist Party converged on the Pride celebrations with the intent to incite violence.[23] A group of activists attempted to erect a curtain between the anti-gay protesters and the Pride festivities, but were attacked.[24] In the immediate aftermath, the Hamilton Police Service was condemned for not responding to the violence and, following the attack, arresting some of the activists attempting to shield Pride participants from the protest.[25] In late July 2019, the Hamilton Police Service also arrested Christopher Vanderweide, a Kitchener-based ultra-nationalist and white supremacist behind much of the violence, using a helmet to attack Pride participants [26] Among the 'counter-protesters' arrested were Cedar Hopperton, a local anarchist activist, who Hamilton Police said was violating parole by attending the event. There was some contention as to whether Hopperton, a trans person who had previously been arrested after a vandalism spree by local anarchists on Locke Street, was actually at Pride. In response to their arrest, Hopperton began a hunger strike while held at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre.[27] Hopperton was released from jail in July 2019 after a parole hearing found insufficient evidence to place Hopperton at Pride.[28]

In an attempt to mend relations, Mayor Eisenberger appointed LGBTQ+ community members Deirdre Pike and Cole Gately to liaise with the city's LGBTQ+ community. This move was critiqued by Cameron Kroetsch, chair of the city's LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee and candidate for councillor (Ward 2 - Downtown) in 2018, who said, "There is a lot that has to happen before people are going to feel comfortable sitting down with the mayor".[29] LGBTQ+ community members across Hamilton criticized Eisenberger's extremely delayed response to the Pride violence and the characterization by Councillor Sam Merulla that blamed people "on both sides". LGBTQ+ community activists Darren Stewart-Jones, Graham Crawford, and Chris Erl all took issue with Eisenberger's handling of the situation, with the latter critiquing the mayor's "excruciatingly slow response and lack of leadership".[29][30]

A independent review of the Pride violence and of the Hamilton Police Service response was conducted by Toronto lawyer Scott Bergman. Bergman's report was released a year following the violence and condemned the police response as well as the Hamilton Police Chief, Eric Girt, for making incendiary comments following the violence. Bergman also confirmed the protesters were more numerous than in previous years, writing "There was an increased number of agitators and many were from the yellow vest movement and from more militant, hateful groups."[31] In September 2020, Vanderweide plead guilty to assault ans was sentenced to anger management counselling.[32]

"Sewergate"[]

On January 16, 2019, councillors received a report from city staff describing a malfunction in the city's sewage system that allowed 24 billion litres of raw sewage to spill into Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise, a wetland designated as a National Historic Site. The following September, councillors received a follow-up report on the matter. The reports recommended that the public not be made aware of the incident for fear of legal action against the city. In October, the Hamilton Spectator obtained the confidential reports on the matter and published a story outlining the details, prompting the city to respond. In their response, the city noted that a gate in a sewage holding tank had been left open since January 2014 and that the city did not know why the gate had been left open for years.[33] By December 2019, councillors had dropped an internal investigation into the identity of the 'whistleblower' who informed the Spectator of the reports and had admitted to failing to contact partners such as the City of Burlington and the Royal Botanical Gardens to notify them of the sewage spill.[34]

Chedoke Falls leading into Chedoke Creek

Mayor Eisenberger and council were blasted by members of the public and by Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath, whose Hamilton Centre riding counts Chedoke Creek as one of its borders.[35] Despite calls for his resignation, Eisenberger instead said he intended to stay on as mayor and expressed interest in seeking a fourth term in office.[36]

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board controversies[]

On August 1, 2020, an outgoing student trustee with the HWDSB, Ahona Mehdi, published a Twitter thread in which she documented alleged racist and offensive actions on the part of a number of elected trustees during her term on the board. In this thread and at a press conference held later, Mehdi accused an unnamed trustee of using a racial slur when referring to tennis star Serena Williams. Mehdi's allegations prompted an independent investigator's review. This review concluded with a report made public in February, 2021. The report, which had been altered by trustees to exclude the names of those who were investigated, acknowledged that the HWDSB had failed to create a supportive environment for Mehdi, but did not find evidence that any trustee used a racial slur, but did acknowledge that a former chair of the board had singled Mehdi out and had deliberately or inadvertently diminished her equity-seeking voice, that another trustee had made comments about creating an Indigenous student trustee role "was not an equitable act", and that a final trustee had made anti-Muslim and racist remarks during their time on the board.[37]

Though the report was released with the names of trustees involved redacted, the advocacy group Hamilton Students for Justice tweeted on February 4 their response to the report and named the trustees as Carole Paikin-Miller (Ward 5 - Red Hill), Kathy Archer (Ward 6 - East Mountain), Alex Johnstone (Wards 11 and 12 - Ancaster-Glanbrook), and Becky Buck (Wards 8 and 14 - West Mountain), as well as calling for their "impeachment".[38] While the Ontario Ministry of Education announced it does not have the power to remove trustees from office, calls for the resignation of the four trustees came from leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, Steven Del Duca, the Afro-Canadian Caribbean Association, and both the Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teachers’ Local Executive and District 21 of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation.[39][40][41] During a special board meeting on March 4, 2021, trustees re-opened the matter and issued four sanctions against Johnstone and Paikin-Miller, namely: issuing a formal letter of censure, requesting a formal apology, requiring additional equity, governance and anti-racism training, and prohibiting the trustees from sitting on any board committees until at least the end of the calendar year. Additionally, trustees voted unanimously to recommend Paikin-Miller resign from the board for her documented Islamophobic and racist comments.[42]

On September 29, 2020, CBC Hamilton reported that HWDSB Trustee Carole Paikin-Miller (Ward 5 - Redhill) had filed a complaint against fellow trustees Maria Felix Miller (Ward 3 - Hamilton Centre), Cam Galindo (Wards 9 and 10 - Stoney Creek) and Paul Tut (Ward 13 - Dundas), asserting that they violated the school board's Code of Conduct when they appeared in support of Mehdi and other former student trustees and community members speaking out against racism on the board. The three trustees named in the complaint, as well as board chair Alex Johnstone (Wards 11 and 12 - Ancaster-Glanbrook) stood in support of Mehdi and other students and, following the event, Tut also tweeted that any trustee using racist language should be removed from office. Paikin-Miller's complaint noted that the attendance of the three trustees named in the complaint violated the board's policy on "procedural fairness and unbiased process."[43] On November 26, 2020, the board's internal investigation found no Code of Conduct violations had been committed.[44]

Integrity and Code of Conduct violations[]

In September 2020, retiring councillor Sam Merulla (Ward 4 - East Hamilton) was the subject of a complaint to the city's integrity commissioner. A woman from Kitchener lodged the complaint after Merulla called the woman a "fucking punk" and threatened to "pay [her] a visit". The woman, an employee of a company that supplies weightlifting equipment, was the customer service representative handling a dispute between Merulla and her company over $300 worth of kettlebells. The woman called the police, fearing for her safety, and alleges Merulla sent threatening emails using his City of Hamilton account, which identified him as a member of council.[45] While reporting on the story, CHCH reporter Matt Ingram asked Merulla about the complaint. Merulla proceeded to berate Ingram, saying "I refuse to be fucking exploited by you or anyone".[45] CHCH News had previously filed an integrity commissioner complaint against Merulla in 2019 after he threatened a reporter covering the violence that occurred during Hamilton Pride 2019.[45] On December 11, 2020, the city's Integrity Commissioner found that Merulla had violated city council's code of conduct and would be docking five days pay from the councillor. Merulla responded by saying he would challenge the "gross incompetence" of the Integrity Commissioner in court.[46]

Councillor Terry Whitehead (Ward 14 - West Mountain), was also the subject of a complaint to the city's integrity commissioner in September 2020. In July, Whitehead sent an email to advocates for Hamilton's homeless community who had requested to appear before council. The profanity-laden email circulated on social media, with Whitehead writing "You want to tun Hamilton into Sanfransico [sic]? Shit, unine [sic], needles and other harmful Paraphernalia [sic] on our streets...Shelters are in place and we need to re econsider [sic] institutionalize [sic] people that are a danger to themselves."[47] Whitehead was strongly criticized by local activists and the media, with the Spectator editorial board writing "this seems an uncivil response to a constituent, and the fact that any elementary school teacher would give the councillor's spelling and grammar an ‘F,’ Whitehead seems to think that removing encampments removes the problem. And seems almost proud to repeat dehumanizing, degrading stereotypes about homeless people."[48] After a complaint was submitted to the city's integrity commissioner, Whitehead dismissed the complainants as "activists" and expressed his belief that his comments and stance on the city's homeless population could make him "mayor tomorrow".[49]

On September 28, 2020, the chair of the city's LGBTQ Advisory Committee, Cameron Kroetsch announced that Hamilton City Council had filed an official complaint against him with the city's Integrity Commissioner. In May, 2019, Kroetsch had been a guest on the Bill Kelly radio show on CHML and had critiqued both the city's new appointee to the Hamilton Police Board and how the city handled the revelation that a long-time employee in the IT department had been a known and active white supremacist. Kroetsch had then tweeted minutes from the city's LGBTQ Advisory Committee that contained information the city clerk had recommended be redacted. The city's use of the Integrity Commissioner to launch an investigation of a local resident was unprecedented and was critiqued by residents as an attempt to silence dissenting voices in the city.[50]

In December, 2020, the Spectator reported that Ancaster resident Bob Maton filed an integrity complaint against councillor Lloyd Ferguson (Ward 12 - Ancaster). Maton, a 2006 HWDSB candidate and 2011 Family Coalition candidate for Provincial Parliament in Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, entered into a heated discussion with the Ancaster councillor over the latter's support for a townhome project in old Ancaster. Maton argued the councillor was "abusive and defamatory", while the councillor berated Maton, telling the city's planning committee meeting: "Quite frankly, you're talking like a candidate for council, not a leader of the community, and I don't like the fact that you're misleading the public."[51] The complaint against Ferguson was dismissed by the city's Integrity Commissioner in January, 2021. While they noted the Ward 12 councillor's comments were "blunt and undiplomatic,” they also said that they “do not constitute abuse” that would be seen as a violation of the city's code of conduct.[52]

Mayoral election[]

Candidates[]

Declared[]

Potential[]

Declined or Ineligible[]

City Council Election[]

Candidates[]

Declared[]

  • Al Bunn (Ward 3 - Hamilton Centre), UFCW Locals 175 & 633 union steward at Fearman's Pork [63][64]
  • Timothy Taylor (Ward 6 - East Mountain), Candidate for Ward 6 Councillor 2018; Licensed Paralegal at Taylor Reece Paralegal Services[65][66]
  • Maddy Murphy (Ward 7 - Central Mountain) 20 year-old working class candidate [67][68]
  • Brad Clark (Ward 9 - Upper Stoney Creek), councillor 2006-2014 & 2018–present; Progressive Conservative MPP for Stoney Creek 1999-2003 [54]

Potential[]

  • Bob Maton (Ward 12 - Ancaster), candidate for HWDSB trustee (Wards 11 and 12 - Ancaster-Glanbrook) in 2006; 2011 Family Coalition Party candidate for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale

Declined or Ineligible[]

  • Sam Merulla, Ward 4 - East Hamilton councillor 2000–present [69]
  • Doug Conely, Ward 9 - Upper Stoney Creek councillor 2014-2018 [62]
  • Lloyd Ferguson, Ward 12 - Ancaster councillor 2006–present [70]
  • Bryan Wilson, 2018 second-place candidate in Ward 14 - West Mountain [71]

Trustee elections[]

Candidates[]

Declared[]

Potential[]

Declined or Ineligible[]

Mid-term elections[]

Less than a year after the 2018 elections, HWDSB trustee Chris Parkinson (Ward 3 - Hamilton Centre) died suddenly of a heart attack at age 53. Parkinson, a microbiologist by training, was a prolific volunteer and well-known community figure in central Hamilton.[72] In June, 2019, the HWDSB appointed the runner-up from the 2018 election, Maria Felix Miller, to the seat. The race between Parkinson and Miller was extremely close, with only 29 votes separating the two front-runners to replace outgoing trustee Larry Pattison.[73]

On September 11, 2020, HWCDSB trustee Tony Perri (Wards 3 and 4 - Hamilton Centre/East) died. The 72 year old trustee had been a figure in the city's restaurant and music scene and had served as a trustee since 2014.[74] Tyler Iorio, the runner-up in the 2018 Wards 9 and 10 Catholic trustee race and the grandson of Patrick Wilson, a 20-year trustee on the HWCDSB, was appointed to the board at a virtual meeting held on November 20, 2020.[75]

Timeline[]

2018

  • October 22, 2018: 2018 Municipal Election

2019

  • January 16, 2019: The first report detailing the sewage leak into Chedoke Creek is released to councillors
  • May 30, 2019: Ward 3 (Hamilton Centre) HWDSB trustee Chris Parkinson dies suddenly
  • June 15, 2019: Anti-gay protesters attack participants in Hamilton's annual Pride celebrations
  • June 17, 2019: Maria Felix Miller is appointed Ward 3 (Hamilton Centre) HWDSB trustee
  • December 17, 2019: The provincial government announces it will no longer support Hamilton's LRT project

2020

  • March 23, 2020: Ontario enters lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19
  • June 19, 2020: Hamilton enters "Stage 2" of Ontario's economic reopening
  • July 24, 2020: Hamilton enters "Stage 3" of Ontario's economic reopening
  • August 1, 2020: Ahona Mehdi, a former student trustee with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board publishes a Twitter thread accusing some sitting trustees of racist and discriminatory behaviour
  • September 11, 2020: Wards 3 and 4 (Hamilton Centre/East) HWCDSB trustee Tony Perri dies
  • November 16, 2020: Hamilton enters the Red Zone (Control) of Ontario's COVID-19 Regional Advisory System after a steady increase in the number of cases
  • November 20, 2020: Tyler Iorio is appointed Wards 3 and 4 (Hamilton Centre/East) HWCDSB trustee
  • November 23, 2020: Protesters with DefundHPS (Defund the Hamilton Police Service) begin an encampment on the steps of city hall to call for the police budget to be diverted to free housing[76]
  • November 30, 2020: In response to the Hamilton Police Service dismantling the DefundHPS encampment, protesters leave a coffin filled with roses, plants, and naloxone kits on the doorstep of Mayor Fred Eisenberger's east Hamilton home[77]
  • December 7, 2020: DefundHPS ends the encampment at city hall after failing to secure a public meeting with Mayor Fred Eisenberger[76]
  • December 21, 2020: Hamilton enters the Grey Zone (Lockdown) of Ontario's COVID-19 Regional Advisory System after failing to decrease the number of cases since entering the Red Zone in November

2021

  • February 3, 2021: The HWDSB releases a report on the allegations of a former student trustee into racism and discrimination among trustees
  • February 4, 2021: Hamilton Students for Justice name the trustees in the HWDSB report - Carole Paikin-Miller (Ward 5 - Red Hill), Kathy Archer (Ward 6 - East Mountain), Alex Johnstone (Wards 11 and 12 - Ancaster-Glanbrook), and Becky Buck (Wards 8 and 14 - West Mountain) - and call for their "impeachment"
  • March 4, 2021: The trustees of the HWDSB formally sanction Alex Johnstone (Wards 11 and 12 - Ancaster-Glanbrook) and Carole Paikin-Miller (Ward 5 - Red Hill), as well as requesting Paikin-Miller resign from the board.

2022

  • May 2, 2022: Nominations open.
  • July 29, 2022: Nominations close.
  • October 24, 2022: Election day.

References[]

  1. ^ Government of Ontario, "Municipal Elections Act, 1996", S.O. 1996, Chapter 32.
  2. ^ Muniscope, "Municipal Elections Schedule in Canada," August 20, 2015.
  3. ^ City Clerk's Office, City of Hamilton Corporate Services. "Municipal Election Candidates" Archived 2010-08-20 at the Wayback Machine, City of Hamilton (Accessed June 12, 2012)
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  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "A 'betrayal' of the City of Hamilton - Ontario pulls out of LRT". Hamilton Spectator. December 17, 2019.
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  50. ^ Moro, Teviah (September 28, 2020). "Hamilton LGBTQ committee chair says council integrity complaint against him 'attempt to silence' critics". The Hamilton Spectator.
  51. ^ Moro, Teviah (December 16, 2020). "Ancaster resident hits Coun. Lloyd Ferguson with integrity complaint". Hamilton Spectator.
  52. ^ Wells, Jon (January 5, 2021). "Integrity complaint dismissed: Hamilton councillor 'blunt and undiplomatic,' but not abusive, commissioner rules". Hamilton Spectator.
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