A student-focused summary of the city’s mayoral and Ward 1 city counsellor candidates and thier platforms

As the municipal election races come to a close, students should remember that not only are they eligible to vote, but also that their voices matter in this election. Student are able to cast votes for city the mayor of Hamilton, city councillors and school board trustees.

For more in-depth discussions on each of the mayoral candidates, you can check out the candidate profiles posted on the Silhouette website.

Mayoral candidates  

In June 2022, Hamilton’s current mayor, Fred Eisenberger, announced he would not be running for reelection. In the weeks leading up to the election, the Silhouette sat down with several of these candidates to discuss their platforms, their reasons for running, and their perspectives on why the student vote matters.

Bob Bratina has had a long political career, as Ward 2 city councillor from 2004 to 2010, mayor of Hamilton from 2010 to 2014 and Liberal member of parliament from 2015 to 2021. He is concerned about affordable housing, financial transparency regarding the LRT project and increased security.  

Ejaz Butt is a community activist, an Uber driver, and the founder of the Ontario Taxi Workers Union. Butt explained to the Silhouette that his 20-point campaign agenda was compiled based on feedback from Hamilton residents. This agenda particularly highlights the housing crisis and the affordability of living in Hamilton.  

Jim Davis detailed his platform on Facebook page Vote Jim Davis 4 Mayor of Hamilton, the same platform that he ran on in his first mayoral campaign in 2018. Davis aims to prioritize city-run programs, such as daycare and recreation and housing initiatives.   

Andrea Horwath served as Hamilton’s Ward 2 city councillor from 1997 to 2004 and as the leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party from 2009 to 2022. Horwath plans on prioritizing public transportation, environmental protection and rebuilding trust between city hall and the public.  

Solomon Ikhuiwu is a trained paralegal, evangelical preacher and author who wants to prioritize unifying the city and addressing the housing crisis. Ikhuiwu has worked with unhoused communities in Hamilton throughout his career and is critical of the current state of the shelter system. 

Hermiz Ishaya decided to run for mayor to set an example for young people and highlight the importance of youth involvement in politics. Ishaya told the Silhouette that he is particularly concerned about the housing crisis, as well as the city’s infrastructure and roads. 

Keanin Loomis, former president and CEO of Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, highlighted building a trustworthy and responsive City Hall, fostering economic growth and making Hamilton a safer and cleaner city as his main goals.  

Michael Pattison, who previously ran for mayor in 2014 and 2018, is running in this election on a platform that prioritizes the housing crisis, affordable mental health initiatives, transparency in city spending and food insecurity.  

City councillor candidates

Along with voting for Hamilton’s mayor, Hamilton residents will also be voting for city councillors. The majority of McMaster students reside in Ward 1, which has three candidates competing for the seat.  

Ian MacPherson founded the Canadian Association of Pompe, an organization that lobbies the government to fund new treatments for Pompe. MacPherson’s priorities include environmental sustainability, road safety and addressing the housing crisis.  

John Vail is a small business owner who has previously run for both city councillor and for the provincial Hamilton City Centre seat. His priorities include building transparency in city council,  avoiding over-intensification and collaborating with the community.  

Maureen Wilson was elected as Ward 1 city councillor in 2018 and is running again in this election. Her platform highlights key areas of priority, such as ensuring safer streets, addressing the housing crisis and investing in public spaces.  

McMaster students are eligible to vote on election day, October 24, provided they have government-issued identification and proof of residency in Hamilton. More information on where to vote on election day can be found here. 

A former Hamilton mayor, Bratina has built his campaign on transparency, affordability and security 

The Silhouette sat down with mayoral candidate Bob Bratina to discuss his current mayoral campaign and the most pressing issues for the upcoming election. 

Bratina served as Hamilton’s mayor from 2010 to 2014 and has once again thrown his hat in the ring to serve his city. 

Bratina has criticized the current government’s handling of issues like Sewergate, where 24 billion litres of sewage were dumped into Chedoke Creek over four years, and the Red Hill Valley Parkway lawsuits, where the road’s slipperiness has caused a large number of crashes in the area. 

“Right now, there's so much that's done behind the scenes that is not open and transparent. You know, when you're leaving sewer gates open for four years and when nobody's explaining exactly what happened to the slippery pavement. And I could go on and on but you don't need anything more than that for the average person to understand that something's wrong in the way the city's being administered,” said Bratina. 

“Right now, there's so much that's done behind the scenes that is not open and transparent . . . And I could go on and on but you don't need anything more than that for the average person to understand that something's wrong in the way the city's being administered.”

Bob Bratina, Hamilton Mayoral Candidate

He also hopes to address affordability by controlling residential tax rates and working with the province on affordable housing. 

“In terms of affordability, it's a broad issue, because if the taxes continue to go up and people in modest homes with modest and perhaps fixed incomes, like an elderly person living on a small pension, if we allow the taxes to go up, the last number we heard was 6.9% for the city, that puts you out of your house,” said Bratina. 

Another part of his plan to tackle affordability includes increasing transparency for the city’s LRT project. Bratina, who has strongly opposed the LRT decision for a decade due to its costs and maintenance, plans for increased financial transparency and unionized HSR employees. 

“What we need to do is to make sure that the [LRT] program is open and transparent in terms of what the costs are and how we're going to operate it . . . And I think that council needs to look at everything we do, put things into a priority and ensure that we're living within our means,” said Bratina.

“What we need to do is to make sure that the [LRT] program is open and transparent in terms of what the costs are, and how we're going to operate it . . . And I think that council needs to look at everything we do, put things into a priority and ensure that we're living within our means.”

Bob Bratina, Hamilton Mayoral Candidate

Bratina has advocated for increased security in Hamilton, citing that Hamilton is below the national median for the ratio of police officers to the population.  

“Do we have sufficient resources to provide adequate and effective policing? And if you break the numbers down, the answer is no,” said Bratina. 

Before his earlier term as mayor, Bratina served as Ward 2’s city councillor for six years, from 2004-2010. Bratina highlighted his accomplishments as a councillor, including when he worked to reconstruct the Beasley Community Centre in the Beasley neighbourhood, one of the poorest urban neighbourhoods in Canada. 

Additionally, during his time as mayor, Bratina constructed the Tim Horton’s stadium, allowing Hamilton to host the 2015 Pan Am games. Bratina also worked with the late David Braley to build the $84.6 million McMaster Health Campus.  

However, his mayoral career was not without controversy. Bratina was often criticized for being unprofessional and found himself at the centre of the Peggygate scandal when he gave a $30,000 raise to his chief of staff, Peggy Chapman, and wrongfully blamed it on the human resources department.  

Bratina was also elected as a Liberal member of parliament for the Hamilton East—Stoney Creek area for 2015-2021. He opted out of running for MP again due to the Liberal government’s decision to fund the Hamilton LRT.  

Bratina encouraged McMaster University students to vote in the upcoming election. 

“I want [students] to be proud of the city they've come to. And hopefully they’ll find their life's work within the city. Or if not, if they go elsewhere, that they'll still talk to people in Calgary or Johannesburg, or wherever in the world that they may end up, that Hamilton was a great place. Because right now, if you walk around downtown on a Saturday afternoon, you won't be impressed. So we've got to continue the work that we've started,” said Bratina. 

“I want [students] to be proud of the city they've come to. And hopefully they’ll find their life's work within the city. Or if not, if they go elsewhere, that they'll still talk to people in Calgary or Johannesburg, or wherever in the world that they may end up, that Hamilton was a great place. Because right now, if you walk around downtown on a Saturday afternoon, you won't be impressed. So we've got to continue the work that we've started,”

Bob Bratina, Hamilton Mayoral Candidate

Bob Bratina is running for mayor in the Oct. 2022 municipal election. His candidate profile has be posted as part of a series the Silhouette is running to build student awareness about the municipal election. Candidate profiles will continue to be posted in alphabetical order over the next few weeks. Election Day is Oct. 24 and more details on how to vote can be found here.  

C/O Randy Kay, Unsplash

Hamiltonians, including students, will be heading to the polls again in October 2022

This year is a busy one for democracy in Ontario. After having gone to the polls in June to elect their provincial representatives, Hamiltonians will do so once again on Oct. 24 to elect the municipal government. 

In Hamilton, the positions that will be decided in this upcoming election include the city’s mayor, 15 city councillors, 11 English Public School Board trustees, nine English Catholic School Board trustees, one French public school board trustee and one French Catholic School Board trustee. 

Candidates were first able to file their nomination paperwork starting on May 2. They have until Aug. 19 to submit these forms, or if they choose, to withdraw their nomination. 

As of July 28, the candidates for Hamilton’s mayor, included Keanin Loomis, a former chamber of commerce chief; Ejaz Butt, a former taxi union official; Bob Bratina, a former Hamilton mayor 2010 to 2014 and Andrea Horwath, who will be leaving her Hamilton Centre seat to enter the race. After having severed the city as mayor for three terms and as a city counsellor before that, current Mayor Fred Eisenberger has chosen not seek re-election. 

Hamilton is composed of 15 wards and one city counsellor from each ward will be elected to represent their community’s interests on the city council. Most students reside in Ward 1. As of July 7, there were two candidates for Ward 1’s counsellor: incumbent Maureen Wilson and Ian MacPherson. 

Students are eligible to vote in the upcoming election so long as they are Canadian citizens, at least 18 years of age, are residents of Hamilton — this includes if you are a tenant in the city — and are not otherwise disqualified from voting. Students who consider their home municipality — the city they may return to live in when they are not attending school — are eligible to vote in both the election in their hometown as well as the city of Hamilton’s election. 

Students are eligible to vote in the upcoming election so long as they are Canadian citizens, at least 18 years of age, are residents of Hamilton — this includes if you are a tenant in the city — and are not otherwise disqualified from voting. Students who consider their home municipality — the city they may return to live in when they are not attending school — are eligible to vote in both the election in their hometown as well as the city of Hamilton’s election.

A voters’ list will be prepared for Sept. 1. In order to add, confirm or update your information, students will need to visit www.voterlookup.ca. To add your name or to make changes to the voters’ list after Sept. 1, you will need to contact the municipal clerk, who is responsible for organizing the election. 

Additionally, like all voters, in order to vote on election day, students will need to show identification offering proof of their residence in Hamilton. For students living in residence, they should be able to receive a document offering proof of residence from their post-secondary institution. For students living off campus, this could include a utility bill or a transcript from their post-secondary institution. 

There are a number of ways individuals can vote in Oct. Students will be able to vote by mail, at advance polls and on election day.  

While the location of advanced polls are still to be announced, there will be located in each ward and they are slated to be open on Oct. 7 and 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. as well as Oct. 8 and 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

On election day, there will be polls at post-secondary institutions in the city, including McMaster University, Mohawk College and Redeemer University. At these locations, the city is planning to pilot their “ballot on demand” system.  

On election day, there will be polls at post-secondary institutions in the city, including McMaster University, Mohawk College and Redeemer University. At these locations, the city is planning to pilot their “ballot on demand” system.  

At a “ballot on demand” poll, there will be an e-poll book and printer, allowing for staff to provide voters with a ballot form in any ward — not just the ward the polling station is located in. This system allows voters to cast their ballot without having to go out of their way to a polling station Voters will still be required to show identification in order to vote. 

While these are still early days for election, some issues expected to be raised include the ongoing housing crisis in the city, the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of the LRT and the urban boundary expansion. These issues and how they are decided will have important implications for students and their time in this city, making it important to be informed and participate in this election. 

On Oct. 19, the Hamilton Young Liberals hosted a leadership conference at McMaster. The aim of the day, said HYL president Waleed Aslam, was “to leave here inspired, to get involved, [and] to make a difference.”

The event, which took place in Convocation Hall, welcomed a collection of guests, opening with a series of Liberal candidates for MPP based in the Hamilton area.

Ivan Luksic, one such candidate for the riding of Hamilton East/Stoney Creek, and a Mac alumnus, suggested that students consider leadership from a different perspective.

“When I look at leaders, I don’t look at those who inspired humanity in history,” he explained. “I look at the more personal ones—my parents.”

One of the featured invitees of the afternoon was Hamilton mayor Bob Bratina. He spoke of the importance of getting involved in the political process, citing his own change of career as an example.

“What I found of 45 years in broadcasting was that I had so many things I was interested in, so many ideals…and for the most part, nothing really happened until you get into the political sphere,” he explained.

“So no matter the ideals, the concrete projects we might have in mind…nothing gets done without the political process.”

Before becoming mayor of the city in 2010, Bratina had a career as a radio broadcaster, hosting talk shows and acting as a commentator in sports. He initially became involved in politics as a city councillor representing Ward 2 in 2004.

Premier Kathleen Wynne served as the keynote speaker for the event, arriving late to Convocation Hall after having presented at the Leadership Summit for Women, also on campus on Saturday afternoon.

While the two-hour event was themed around leadership, Wynne took a more partisan angle, offering justification for the Liberal government’s economic strategies.

“[I want to talk] about how we’re going to be building Ontario up, because I think that’s a distinguishing characteristic between us and what’s happening on the other side of the floor,” she told the audience. “[Their strategy] is to some extent tearing Ontario down, talking about what can’t happen as opposed to what can.”

Wynne also echoed the appreciation of the previous speakers for the already-committed Hamilton Young Liberals in the room, in a move that was likely welcomed by the group but may have felt alienating to other audience members, who included a variety of students and community members.

“You’re also critical to the way we think about our policies,” she said.

“I want you to understand that the ideas you put forward are things we want to act on, we need to act on,” she explained, citing the province’s 30 per cent tuition rebate as an example.

“I know the Young Liberals have been hugely important in all our campaigns and will continue to be,” she said, later joking, “We don’t want you just because your joints are good.”

With millions invested in preliminary research on a light-rail transit system in Hamilton, the City is under pressure to move the project forward.

Over the past five years, Hamiltonians, councillors and McMaster representatives have been making the case to the province for LRT in Hamilton.

LRT would provide train access every two or three minutes to downtown Hamilton. The system is expected to benefit local commuters and frequent users of the B-line bus route. As part of a downtown renewal plan, LRT also has the potential to draw more students to the core of the city.

Recently, Mayor Bob Bratina has come under heavy scrutiny by community members for not pursuing the initiative more aggressively.

Complicating matters further, Dalton McGuinty’s resignation last week as leader of Ontario’s Liberal Party means LRT supporters likely have to wait even longer for action.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty right now. I wish I could say this could happen very soon, but with the economy and Ontario’s political situation, I don’t think we’re going to hear back definitively from the province until 2014,” said Brian McHattie, Hamilton city councillor for McMaster’s ward.

Given the amount of time and money already spent on the initiative, many are seeking clarity on whether LRT is on track to happen.

So far, evidence suggests there are significant social and economic benefits to justify having light-rail transit in Hamilton.

According to a 2010 operational review by the HSR, bus ridership in the east-west direction that LRT would encompass was roughly 13,000 per day.

“The B-line is by far the busiest line we have in the city,” said McHattie. “Sometimes you’ll see buses pass by their stops because they’re too full. LRT would be able to carry many more passengers, and it would be faster.”

To date, $9 million has been invested in preliminary research to make the case for LRT. The province has designated $3 million for a required Environmental Assessment.

Estimates for the cost to build the LRT B-line are much higher, ranging from $900 million to $1 billion.

“Initially, and until they say otherwise, the province has earmarked $2 billion a year for 25 years for the MoveOntario plan,” said councillor Jason Farr. “That’s all we know at this point.”

In September 2011, City Council requested full provincial funding on two LRT lines in Hamilton.

Other cities in the GTA are also pursuing provincial funding on LRT systems. Toronto recently secured full capital funding from Metrolinx for its $6 billion Eglinton-Scarborough cross-town LRT, prompting many to insist Hamilton deserves the same treatment.

“In October 2011, Metrolinx said we were ahead of the pack,” said Farr. “Since then, we have heard they may be looking at alternative funding sources, and that could be anything – it could mean creating a new tax specific to the MoveOntario initiative or to Hamilton’s LRT plan.”

“It doesn’t mean LRT is dead, though – it does not mean that,” he said.

In August of this year, Ontario’s minister of infrastructure and transportation Bob Chiarelli finally confirmed that the City would have to raise a portion of the funds on its own.

It is uncertain how much Hamiltonian taxpayers will have to pitch in.

This uncertainty prompted Mayor Bob Bratina to express hesitation in a Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Stoney Creek earlier this month.

Bratina said he was reluctant to move ahead with LRT plans before funding details are released.

Councillor McHattie said the City intends to join the Chamber of Commerce’s LRT taskforce committee, on which McMaster University has representation. He added that the Council would also be interested in working with the McMaster Students Union.

Last year, the MSU launched a “We need LRT” campaign. Former VP (Education) Alicia Ali and SRA representative Chris Erl brought forth a motion to amend one of the MSU’s transit policies. A two-line edit to the policy reads that the MSU supports the LRT initiative in Hamilton.

Students were asked to give feedback by tweeting with the hashtag #WeNeedLRT whenever they missed a bus or were unsatisfied with HSR service, and about 100 tweets were tracked up until September.

Since then, several additions have been made to HSR bus service to McMaster.

“We haven’t heard as many complaints on social media about missed buses in the morning,” said Huzaifa Saeed, current VP (Education) of the MSU, who worked with the City’s transit department in the summer to increase HSR service to the Ancaster Meadowlands.

Saeed says he hasn’t abandoned the LRT initiative, but needs student backing from the SRA and interest from the student body before he could push for LRT on behalf of McMaster students.

“I think the momentum [in the LRT campaign] has died down at the city level, and the province isn’t saying anything yet.”

If LRT were to be implemented down the road, Don Hull, director of transit at the City, said the system “would likely replace some of the bus network we have near McMaster, most notably the B-line. It would call for the restructuring of [HSR] service.”

But that is a long way off – ten to fifteen years ahead, said Hull.

“We’re currently working on a fall report for Council that would provide details of how LRT could be implemented,” said Hull.

Over the past few months, work has also been done to determine a preferred site for a transit terminal on campus, and a recommendation has been made to locate it near the parking lot at Cootes Drive and Main Street.

“That work is continuing,” said Gord Arbeau, director of public and community relations at McMaster. “McMaster is a supporter of the LRT initiative and will continue to work with the City to make a case for this investment.”

Aside from the MSU’s endorsement of LRT and a short-lived student campaign last year, there has been little student feedback on a major transit initiative that would connect McMaster to the rest of Hamilton.

Former prime minister of Canada Jean Chretien was at McMaster Innovation Park on Tuesday morning to speak about global water issues.

The event was a book launch for The Global Water Crisis: Addressing an Urgent Security Issue, a publication from the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH). The book was produced alongside the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation and the InterAction Council, of which Chretien is a member.

Also in attendance was former McMaster president Peter George, who chaired a panel discussion following talks from Chretien, UNU-INWEH director Zahar Adeel and Thomas Axworthy, who is President and CEO of Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation and the Secretary-General of the InterAction Council. UNU-INWEH is hosted at McMaster University.

Chretien, who spoke after Adeel and Axworthy, expressed his concern over the coming global fresh water shortage, mentioning that Canada has 20 per cent of the world's fresh water.

"We might regret that nobody paid attention to this problems when it started ... and I have a feeling that we can find solutions, but we should not start to do that too late. It's better to start right away. We might avoid international crisis," said Chretien. He explained that the recommendations in the book were key to the solution.