Moving out begins at Hamilton City Hall
The transition between City Council terms will really get underway this week. I expect to see every newly elected member, and Mayor-elect Keanin Loomis passing through City Hall this week. They’ll have introductions with senior staff, go through human resources processing, determine who their Day One staff will be, and likely have IT accounts assigned.
Hamiltonians did not re-elect six of the incumbents. Those soon-to-be former councillors will need to begin packing up their materials in advance of November 13. I hope to chat with a few of them about what’s next, and ask what advice they have for the coming council term.
What I’m Watching For During the Week Ahead
I’ll be at City Hall watching the Council transition, and hope to speak to a few of the new Councillors-elect.
Election Individual Tabulator (Poll-by-Poll) Results
Hopefully, the City of Hamilton will release the individual counts for the 267 tabulators used for regular and special polls.
Here are a few things I’m looking to find out.
Mayoral Race – Voter Shifts: Keanin Loomis’ total vote count only increased by ~3500 votes in 2026 compared to 2022. Andrea Horwath lost ~38,000 votes in 2026 compared to 2022. In 2022, Horwath won wards 1 to 7, Loomis won wards 8 to 15. How did votes shift? Rob Cooper secured 46,573 votes in 2026, a jump of ~29,000 votes compared to Bob Bratina’s 17,436 vote result.
The tabulator results will enable me to analyze how votes shifted.
Council Races: In Ward 1, I will try to determine facts that explain how the incumbent barely won re-election. In Ward 3, I’m interested to see where voter turnout decreased. In Ward 4, I’ll look at the polls east of Parkdale Avenue to see if the Conservative wave in the federal election is potentially visible municipally. In Wards 7,8,9,10,12,13, and 15, I’m going to determine if there are clear trends in the data.
Meetings and Hearings This Week
There are three planned meetings for the week ahead, and one Ontario Land Tribunal case management conference.
City Council and City Hall Meetings
Friday: Senior’s Advisory Committee
SAC’s monthly meeting agenda states the committee will conduct routine updates. There are no presentations or motion items. The meeting begins at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, November 6, and will be livestreamed.
Hamilton Police Service Board Special Meeting
Friday
The outgoing Hamilton Police Service Board continues its rush to enact new hires and polices ahead of a majority of its members being replaced on November 15 when the new City Council term begins.
Last week, immediately following the municipal election, the Board announced there would be no hiring process for the next Chief of Police. Instead of an open process conducted by the incoming Board, the outgoing Board signed a contract promoting Deputy Chief Ryan Diodati effective May 7, 2027.
This Friday, November 6, the Board will hold a Special closed session meeting to deliberate on a “Strategic Plan Recommendations Report” prepared by consultants Consilium Public Sector Services.
The agenda is here. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. and is closed to the public.
Ontario Land Tribunal
Wednesday: 36 Taylor Crescent (Flamborough)
Hamilton’s professional planning staff stated this proposal for 12 detached homes at 36 Taylor Crescent in Greensville does not represent good planning, and City Council agreed.
In April, Council unanimously denied the application. The property owner, LaRey Homes (Group) Ltd., has filed an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal asking the Tribunal to overturn the decision and permit the development.
The first case management conference hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, November 4 at 10:00 a.m. by video.
Hamilton Conservation Authority Board of Directors
The HCA Board will meet Thursday evening for its regular monthly session.
The agenda is much lighter than usual, primarily because the HCA is whining down its independent local operations in preparation for the provincial elimination of local conservation authorities and the forced merger of the HCA with the conservation authorities in Halton, Niagara, and Peel regions.
On TPR, I wrote about the “unusual” provincial order requiring outgoing Council members Craig Cassar, Brad Clark, and Alex Wilson to remain as City Council representations until the HCA is dissolved on January 31, 2027.
With the HCA having passed its budget request during the October meeting, all that remains on the November agenda are routine reports regarding permit applications, tender awards, and watershed conditions.
It is reasonable to expect an added item later this week with updates regarding the consolidation of the HCA in the Western Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority.
Expected Information and Agenda Releases
Building & Demolition Permits Activity Report
The September building and demolition permit activity report was not released in mid-October. With the City’s election information freeze lifted, the report may become public this week.
Meeting Agendas
Committee of Adjustment hearings are scheduled for November 19. The CofA usually releases their agenda packages three weeks in advance, the agenda package should be released on or before Thursday, November 5.
Production Details
v. 1.1.0
Published: November 2, 2026
Last updated: November 2, 2026
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version
v. 1.1.0 added Hamilton Conservation Authority meeting, which I forgot to include in first version.
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