Anthony Frisina and Waleed Ali are the latest candidates to officially register to run in the Ward 8 by-election.
Both attended Hamilton City Hall today (June 23). Frisina registered at 10:00 a.m. Ali registered at 2:08 p.m.
This brings the total number of candidates in the race to four. Robert Cooper and Sonia Brown both registered on Thursday when nominations opened.
Candidates have until August 8 at 2:00 p.m. to file their registration papers. Election day will be September 22.
Anthony Frisina
Frisina is a community accessibility advocate who is employed at Mohawk College and produces a show that airs on Cable 14. He was the third-place finisher in the 2022 election with 634 votes of 8,432 ballots cast.
Frisina was appointed to the City’s Accessibility Committee for Persons with Disabilities for this term of Council.
In July 2024, Council voted unanimously to remove Frisina from the Committee following an extensive Integrity Commissioner report regarding a campaign of false accusations against a senior city staffer.
IC David Boghosian found that Frisina’s behaviour constituted “extreme” misconduct, that he engaged in a campaign making repeated false and defamatory statements, and that Frisina “did so knowing the emotional distress he was inflicting on [the city staff member], or wilfully blind to the pain he was inflicting, in his zeal to advance his personal, political agenda.”
Boghosian determined the misconduct was malicious.
Council accepted the findings and removed Frisina from the ACPD. He is not permitted to apply for reappointment until he publicly apologizes.
The report noted that Frisina “has been the subject of several written warnings concerning his refusal to abide by DARTS policies and procedures relating to its customers dating back to at least 2021, and for verbally abusing DARTS employees.”
Additional: On June 27, Hamilton City Clerk Matthew Trennum stated “the Office of the City Clerk does not have record of a public apology on a Council or Committee agenda, nor does it have any record of official correspondence with the City respecting this matter” in response to a question asking if Frisina had issued any apology in accordance with the Council resolution.
Waleed Ali
Ali registered with a Ward 3 address. He describes himself as a “CEO/Director, real estate investor, and proud father.”
A Note on Others Campaigning Already
Editorial Note: While there are many people actively campaigning and/or posting to social media they plan to register as a candidate, my practice is to wait for candidates to register before providing coverage at this early stage of the campaign.
Production Details
v. 1.1.0
Published: June 23, 2025
Last updated: June 28, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version
v. 1.0.1 added correction that Ali registered with a Ward 8 address
v. 1.1.0 added information regarding Frisina's code of conduct matter. (June 28)
Correction, June 23, 2025 19:54: Ali registered using a Ward 3 address. He owns the property, but does not reside there. The initial version of this story incorrected stated this was his residence.
I know Waleed, Waleed is a young, energetic, and self-driven individual who has always done things differently—and it’s worked, especially in Hamilton. Starting his first small businesses at the age of nine, he’s carried that same passion and work ethic into adulthood, earning his real estate license early on. Over the past two years, he has revitalized two long-abandoned properties in Hamilton—each left unused for over 18 years. Now just 20 minutes apart, both are thriving spaces used for selling and repurposing used home appliances, giving them a second life, reducing landfill waste, and helping local families access affordable essentials. Waleed is also a proud father, a responsible problem-solver, and a strong believer in smart, community-focused solutions. He isn’t fast and reckless—he’s efficient, thoughtful, and dedicated. He has clearly shown this in the past two years through real, hands-on results that benefit the community. He is the new hope for Hamilton—bringing vision, dedication, and action to City Council. Vote Waleed – For a Brighter Future.
Editors note: the IP address for this comment is assigned to Brampton, according to Bell Canada’s records.
This doesn’t come as a surprise considering he doesn’t seem to even live in Hamilton, and the original comment reads like an advertisement (perhaps also AI generated?) rather than a genuine testimony.
Regardless, kudos to the transparency note. TPR journalism is so underrated.
Why would I vote for a candidate who used an address outside of the ward to register? Does he live in ward 8? How involved has he been in ward 8 prior to this? I do not recall this name in any capacity for this ward and I’ve lived here for 10+ years!
I don’t think he even lives in Ward 3 either. And to be fair, some of the other Candidates registered in Ward 14 I believe, which is a nearby ward, which I think is fine.