With one week left before the municipal election, the MSU hosted a mayoral debate to inform students on their voting options
On Oct. 17 the MSU held a mayoral debate from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the MUSC Atrium. Four mayoral candidates including Michael Pattinson, Ejaz Butt, Keanin Loomis and Solomon Ikhuiwu were present, with the five remaining mayoral candidates not in attendance. The debate was livestreamed and a recording of the debate can be found on the MSU Facebook page.
Candidates were allowed three-minute opening remarks and followed by a structured debate facilitated by MSU President Simranjeet Singh. Singh posed candidates questions on important issues in the election revolving around affordable housing, climate change, policing, public transportation and Hamilton’s new nuisance party bylaw.
All candidates in attendance were in support of the LRT and increasing support to ancillary services, including mental health resources and homeless shelters. When asked about policing, candidates debated the balance between supporting thin spread police resources in Waterdown and Ancaster and the discrimination minorities in Hamilton continue to experience.
Concerning safe, affordable housing, Loomis discussed his plan to build 50,000 homes in the next ten years by clearing red tape in city hall. He was challenged by Pattinson, who argued it is not enough to say red tape in city hall will be tackled. He claimed that 20,000 homes that had already been approved were not in progress yet and that the key to creating new housing was to ensure developers were not allowed to sit on purchased land after site approval.
When asked about how to tackle climate change in Hamilton there were also differing solutions. Loomis emphasized investing in green energy in a shift from Hamilton’s reputation as a steel town, whereas Pattinson focused on green, accessible public transportation in order to attract residents to Hamilton’s natural ecosystems.
In the closing statements, all candidates thanked students for attending the debate and Ikhuiwu urged students to carefully research candidates and exercise their right to vote. Loomis emphasized that the candidates he claimed were his main competitors, Bob Bratina and Andrea Horwath, were not present for the debate held on McMaster University’s campus.
On Oct. 18 an on-demand ballot was held in CIBC Hall from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for voters across all Hamilton wards. Canadian citizens living in Hamilton over the age of 18 were to vote in the municipal election so long as they were able to provide proof of residence.
If voters missed the Oct. 18 on-demand ballot, polls will be open to Ward 1 citizens at Glenwood Special Day School on Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m among other locations. For more information on candidate profiles see the Silhouette’s for the municipal election series and to learn how you can vote visit www.msumcmaster.ca/macvotes.
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.
Ejaz Butt’s platform focuses on supporting the unhoused community, building the LRT and fostering accountability at City Hall
The Silhouette sat down with Ejaz Butt to discuss his campaign for mayor in the 2022 Hamilton municipal election.
Butt first ran for mayor in the 2014 Hamilton municipal election. After years of being a proactive citizen in Hamilton politics, Butt discussed how he felt it was time to become involved and build his platform. He was particularly motivated to run for mayor and give back to the city after observing deficits in tax policies and a lack of transparency and accountability in Hamilton City Hall.
Many may recognize Butt from his unique car, which he has decked out in merchandise as advertisement for his campaign. Butt has been involved in the taxi industry for over 20 years and currently works as an Uber driver, providing him with many unique advertisement opportunities.
Butt has a 20 point campaign agenda which he explained was formulated based on feedback from citizens. A few significant focuses of this agenda include affordable housing and rent capping, investing in more shelter homes for the unhoused population and turning attention towards youth facing affordability challenges.
“Young professionals and entrepreneurs are facing an economic crisis due to volatile and high interest rates and affordability of housing. [The youth] need more attention at this time,” said Butt.
“Young professionals and entrepreneurs are facing an economic crisis due to volatile and high interest rates and affordability of housing. [The youth] need more attention at this time,”
Ejaz Butt, Hamilton Mayoral Candidate
Additional focuses of Butt’s campaign include updating police stations with more modern technology, revitalizing downtown areas, keeping urban boundaries firm, cleaning contaminated water and finishing the LRT project.
When discussing the LRT, Butt explained despite over a billion dollars put towards the project, very few results have been seen. It is important to Butt to ensure tax dollars are being put towards their appropriate use.
“The main problem is in City Hall, [specifically] in the planning and development department where most of the corruption is done. I may not root out the corruption, but at least I can reduce it. If elected, I will freeze the property taxes for four months, because we have already gone through a lot,” said Butt.
“The main problem is in City Hall, [specifically] in the planning and development department where most of the corruption is done. I may not root out the corruption, but at least I can reduce it. If elected, I will freeze the property taxes for four months, because we have already gone through a lot.”
Ejaz Butt, Hamilton Mayoral Candidate
Butt highlighted the ongoing housing crisis in Hamilton and the lack of resources available to combat the issue. He detailed how issues within shelters, such as unsafe environments or lack of security, also make these resources inaccessible for many citizens.
Lastly, Butt explained his campaign strives to centre Hamilton youth and their economic future. He expressed the urgency of addressing the housing and affordability crises as soon as possible, as remaining complicit will only harm young people entering the workforce, such as McMaster University students.
“The youth are leading us into the future. My generation has already done our time. If our young entrepreneurs are not looked after, we will see more homeless people on the streets,” said Butt.
“The youth are leading us into the future. My generation has already done our time. If our young entrepreneurs are not looked after, we will see more homeless people on the streets."
Ejaz Butt, Hamilton Mayoral Candidate
Ejaz Butt 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.
