It is now November 15, and you are free to call Keanin Loomis the mayor of Hamilton. However, I am going to continue referring to him as “mayor-elect” until he is sworn into office and legally able to exercise mayoral powers.
Ontario’s Municipal Act requires all members of a municipal council to take a declaration of office before they are permitted to take their seats. The Act explicitly states that a council cannot implement by-laws until declarations of office have been made. The same legal threshold applies to strong mayor powers, meaning Loomis cannot issue mayoral directives until he completes his declaration of office.
This procedural requirement creates an immediate logistical hurdle at City Hall. One of the first things Loomis did following the election was announce that Former City Manager Chris Murray will be appointed Interim City Manager, though Loomis used the term “Acting City Manager”. That appointment requires a formal mayoral directive, and Hamilton City Council is not being sworn in until the evening of Wednesday, November 18.
If Loomis wants his Interim City Manager working on day one, he will first need to swear his declaration of office privately.
This is why I will be at City Hall tomorrow (Monday, November 16), ready to document if a legally binding swearing-in occurs.
Additional Notes on Swearing-In and Inaugurations
The Municipal Act is not prescriptive regarding the who, how, or when of council member declarations. Section 232 simply states, “A person shall not take a seat on the council of a municipality … until the person takes the declaration of office in the English or French version of the form established by the Minister for that purpose.”
The declaration can be made in front of anyone qualified as a commissioner of oaths for taking affidavits, and the legislation sets no requirements for when or where the oath is administered.
A recent example in Hamilton of a council member being legally sworn in privately before holding a ceremonial swearing-in occurred in September 2025.
Ward 8 Councillor Rob Cooper wished to participate in council meetings immediately following the certification of the September 22 by-election results. On September 29, City Clerk Matthew Trennum administered the declaration of office. Nine days later, Councillor Cooper repeated the oath during a ceremonial swearing-in on October 8.
No Inaugural in Toronto and Other Differing Practices for Delegations
Most municipalities, including Hamilton, hold special inaugural ceremonies during which new councils publicly make their declarations. In larger municipalities, the ceremony is typically presided over by a Justice of the Superior Court or the Ontario Court of Justice.
Toronto is a notable exception. Canada’s largest municipality does not hold a ceremonial inaugural meeting; instead, Toronto council members sign their declarations of office “privately with the City Clerk.”
The majority of Ontario municipalities hold their special inauguration meetings on November 15, the date the Municipal Act sets for the change in councils. When November 15 falls on a weekend, as it does this year, inaugural meetings generally occur on the first business day that follows.
Several neighbouring municipalities hold their inaugurations at performance centres or convention centres to provide more seating with direct lines of sight for the public.
On Monday, November 16, Burlington City Council will conduct its inaugural meeting at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Mississauga City Council will be sworn in at the Living Arts Centre, and St. Catharines City Council will be sworn in at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Meanwhile, Guelph City Council and Oakville Town Council are holding their inaugurations inside their respective council chambers.
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Published: November 15, 2026
Last updated: November 15, 2026
Author: Joey Coleman
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