Alex Wilson will not seek re-election in October. The first-term Ward 13 (Dundas/Flamborough) councillor made the announcement in a Friday, May 1, 2026 newsletter update to constituents.
“I am so grateful to my community for putting their trust in me not just to represent you at City Hall but to start taking action in the face of decades of delay,” Wilson wrote. “Looking back, I am incredibly proud of the work my team and I have accomplished. It’s also upon reflecting on this work that I have made the difficult decision not to seek re-election in the Municipal Election this Fall.”
Wilson was first elected four years ago on a platform focused on climate action, housing affordability, and local governance.
“I put my name forward to run for City Council because I felt our city lacked leadership on some of the largest issues impacting our community. The COVID pandemic demonstrated just how important a local response could be during a crisis, but my neighbours and I were not seeing our City take action on the accelerating housing and climate crises and their impacts, which were already claiming the lives of those most vulnerable in our communities.”
Wilson noted the geographic challenges of representing Ward 13, Hamilton’s largest ward by land area. “Despite the geography, we have worked hard to connect with neighbours,” he stated. “We brought my office across Dundas and Flamborough via our Coffee with Your Councillor events and community meetings and regularly publish a community newsletter that reaches over 1 in 10 households in Ward 13.”
Road Safety: The Top Issue
Road safety emerged as the most common complaint Wilson’s office received during his tenure. He discussed a few initiatives implemented during his tenure, including a new pedestrian crossing in downtown Dundas, a long-awaited four-way stop at Park Street West and Cross Street, and community-initiated speed cushions on Cameron Avenue.
In collaboration with Ward 12 Councillor Craig Cassar, Wilson also conducted what he describes as the city’s largest in-service road safety review along the Old Ancaster/Old Dundas Road system. “Quick wins have already been implemented with more substantive improvements coming in 2026 and into future years,” he noted.
Housing, Climate, and Biodiversity
As one of only two renters on City Council, Wilson positioned himself as a vocal advocate for tenants and affordable housing. He helped advance bylaw changes to protect residents from renoviction and supported direct funding for new affordable housing projects.
As a member of the City Housing Hamilton Board, Wilson supported the repair of hundreds of affordable housing units and helped develop a “roadmap for constructing thousands of new units of affordable housing in the coming years.”
He also championed the city’s first Biodiversity Action Plan and accelerated the Climate Action Strategy. “While I think our city still has a long way to go in our local response to the climate and housing crises our communities are facing, I am also confident we are on a different path than we were before the last municipal election,” he reflected.
The Infrastructure Crisis Ahead
Wilson turned to the significant challenges awaiting his successor.
“As the Dundas community nears our 180th anniversary, the next decade will see some substantial and much-needed infrastructure renewal in Dundas,” he wrote. Major projects include the complete reconstruction of Hatt Street in 2028-2029, replacement of the Dundas Wastewater Treatment Plant beginning in 2028, and a new bus rapid transit route connecting Dundas to the McMaster LRT stop.
He urged his successor to prioritize these major undertakings while also addressing larger fiscal challenges, especially Hamilton’s multibillion-dollar infrastructure deficit.
“Just looking at our recreation assets, the city is facing a $310 million backlog of deferred maintenance,” Wilson noted. “The funding shortage for Parks and Recreation has been accumulating since the early 2000s, driven by historically low property tax increases that did not keep pace with maintenance needs. Similar situations exist for other City infrastructure and contribute to the multibillion-dollar infrastructure deficit city wide.”
Wilson called for a fundamental shift in how municipalities are funded: “As more and more municipalities experience infrastructure renewal costs beyond what property taxpayers can afford, we need direct federal and provincial investment into the infrastructure Canadians rely on every day.”
Warning About Provincial Changes to Local Governance
Wilson expressed deep concerns about Ontario provincial government actions that he says have undermined local autonomy. He cited Strong Mayor powers, repeated Planning Act amendments, the forced merger of Conservation Authorities, and changes to school board governance as examples of decisions that have concentrated power away from communities.
“The provincial government has acted as a barrier to getting good work done,” Wilson stated. “The introduction of Strong Mayor powers, the forced amalgamation of conservation authorities, the changes being made to school board governance, and a near constant tweaking of provincial planning law have all moved local decision making away from communities and towards less transparent and less accountable processes.”
This pattern of provincial overreach appears to have weighed heavily on his decision. “As the province moves to disempower municipal governments from taking action for their residents, I’m increasingly concerned by the erosion of democracy in Ontario and the attacks on local governance,” he wrote.
Looking Ahead
Despite stepping away from electoral politics, Wilson signalled his continued commitment to the community. “In reflecting on this past term and thinking about the challenges our City is facing in the years ahead my decision not to seek re-election is a difficult one. Many of the challenges we are facing took decades to create and will in turn take decades to heal from.”
Wilson, who will be 29-years-old when his term ends, concluded: “As a young person, I am committed to showing up in the years ahead regardless of my job. I am so incredibly grateful for the trust my neighbours put in me to do this work over the past four years and look forward to finding new ways of serving my community in the months ahead.”
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Published: May 2, 2026
Last updated: May 2, 2026
Author: Joey Coleman
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